diff --git a/collects/plot/plot.scrbl b/collects/plot/plot.scrbl
index 0f67aed418..34dad1f1de 100644
--- a/collects/plot/plot.scrbl
+++ b/collects/plot/plot.scrbl
@@ -274,14 +274,19 @@ viewed in the DrRacket interactions window.
                [#:title title string? ""]
                [#:fgcolor fgcolor (list/c byte? byte? byte) '(0 0 0)]
                [#:bgcolor bgcolor (list/c byte? byte? byte) '(255 255 255)]
-               [#:lncolor lncolor (list/c byte? byte? byte) '(255 0 0)])
+               [#:lncolor lncolor (list/c byte? byte? byte) '(255 0 0)]
+               [#:out-file out-file (or/c path-string? output-port? #f) #f])
           (is-a?/c snip%)]{
 
 Plots @scheme[data] in 2-D, where @scheme[data] is generated by
 functions like @scheme[points] or @scheme[lines].
 
 A @scheme[data] value is represented as a procedure that takes a
-@scheme[2d-view%] instance and adds plot information to it.}
+@scheme[2d-view%] instance and adds plot information to it.
+
+The result is a @racket[snip%] for the plot. If an @racket[#:out-file]
+path or port is provided, the plot is also written as a PNG image to
+the given path or port.}
 
 @defproc[(plot3d [data ((is-a?/c 3d-view%) . -> . void?)]
                  [#:width width real? 400]
diff --git a/collects/plot/view.rkt b/collects/plot/view.rkt
index 288ad934a5..8d31beea9e 100644
--- a/collects/plot/view.rkt
+++ b/collects/plot/view.rkt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 (module view mzscheme
-  (require plot/plplot plot/math mzlib/class mzlib/file mred mzlib/math)
+  (require plot/plplot plot/math mzlib/class mzlib/file 
+           racket/draw racket/snip
+           mzlib/math)
 
   ;; including suggested fix from Doug Williams