diff --git a/lib/fmt.lua b/lib/fmt.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c604cff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/fmt.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+local md_colors = require "md_colors"
+local fmt = {}
+
+function fmt.bold(str)
+    return "<b>"..str.."</b>"
+end
+
+function fmt.italic(str)
+    return "<i>"..str.."</i>"
+end
+
+function fmt.underline(str)
+    return "<u>"..str.."</u>"
+end
+
+function fmt.primary(str)
+    return fmt.colored(str, ui:get_colors().primary_text)
+end
+
+function fmt.secondary(str)
+    return fmt.colored(str, ui:get_colors().secondary_text)
+end
+
+function fmt.colored(str, color)
+    return "<font color=\""..color.."\">"..str.."</font>"
+end
+
+function fmt.bg_colored(str, color)
+    return "<span style=\"background-color: "..color.."\">"..str.."</span>"
+end
+
+function fmt.red(str)
+    return fmt.colored(str, md_colors.red_500)
+end
+
+function fmt.green(str)
+    return fmt.colored(str, md_colors.green_500)
+end
+
+function fmt.blue(str)
+    return fmt.colored(str, md_colors.blue_500)
+end
+
+function fmt.space(str)
+    return "&nbsp;"
+end
+
+function fmt.escape(str)
+    return (string.gsub(str, "[}{\">/<'&]", {
+        ["&"] = "&amp;",
+        ["<"] = "&lt;",
+        [">"] = "&gt;",
+        ['"'] = "&quot;",
+        ["'"] = "&#39;",
+        ["/"] = "&#47;"
+    }))
+end
+
+return fmt
diff --git a/samples/fmt-test.lua b/samples/fmt-test.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8bf5093
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/fmt-test.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+local fmt = require "fmt"
+
+function on_resume()
+    ui:show_lines{
+        fmt.bold("bold"),
+        fmt.italic("italic"),
+        fmt.underline("underline"),
+        fmt.primary("primary"),
+        fmt.secondary("secondary"),
+        fmt.red("red"),
+        fmt.green("green"),
+        fmt.blue("blue"),
+        fmt.colored("lime", "#00FF00"),
+        fmt.bg_colored(fmt.colored("lime background", "#000000"), "#00FF00"),
+        fmt.space().."start with space",
+        fmt.escape("<b>not parsed</b>"),
+    }
+end