diff --git a/Core/Code/IO/mitkItkPictureWrite.cpp b/Core/Code/IO/mitkItkPictureWrite.cpp
index 9cc888da5f..a796fc5c21 100644
--- a/Core/Code/IO/mitkItkPictureWrite.cpp
+++ b/Core/Code/IO/mitkItkPictureWrite.cpp
@@ -1,167 +1,164 @@
 /*===================================================================
 
 The Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK)
 
 Copyright (c) German Cancer Research Center,
 Division of Medical and Biological Informatics.
 All rights reserved.
 
 This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without
 even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
 A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 
 See LICENSE.txt or http://www.mitk.org for details.
 
 ===================================================================*/
 
 
 #include "mitkItkPictureWrite.h"
 #include <mitkInstantiateAccessFunctions.h>
 
 #include <itkNumericSeriesFileNames.h>
 #include <itkImageSeriesWriter.h>
 #include <itkRescaleIntensityImageFilter.h>
 
 #include <itkRGBAPixel.h>
 
-template < typename TPixel, unsigned int VImageDimension >
-void _mitkItkPictureWrite(itk::Image< TPixel, VImageDimension >* itkImage, const std::string& fileName)
+/** Set the filenames to the specified writer in dependace on the number of images passed in */
+template< class WriterType >
+void SetOutputNames( typename WriterType::Pointer writer, const std::string& baseFileName, unsigned int numberOfImages )
 {
-  typedef itk::Image< TPixel, VImageDimension > TImageType;
-
-  typedef itk::Image<unsigned char,3> OutputImage3DType;
-  typedef itk::Image<unsigned char,2> OutputImage2DType;
-  typename itk::RescaleIntensityImageFilter<TImageType, OutputImage3DType>::Pointer rescaler = itk::RescaleIntensityImageFilter<TImageType, OutputImage3DType>::New();
-  rescaler->SetInput(itkImage);
-  rescaler->SetOutputMinimum(0);
-  rescaler->SetOutputMaximum(255);
-  itk::ImageSeriesWriter<OutputImage3DType, OutputImage2DType>::Pointer writer = itk::ImageSeriesWriter<OutputImage3DType, OutputImage2DType >::New();
-
-  // Fix initialize the numberOfSlices to one as default
-  // test if image has dimension >2 to set the number of slices according to the value of GetSize()[2]
-  int numberOfSlices = 1;
-  if( VImageDimension > 2 )
+  if( numberOfImages > 1 )
   {
     itk::NumericSeriesFileNames::Pointer numericFileNameWriter = itk::NumericSeriesFileNames::New();
-    numberOfSlices = itkImage->GetLargestPossibleRegion().GetSize()[2];
 
-    std::string finalFileName = fileName;
-    std::string::size_type pos = fileName.find_last_of(".",fileName.length()-1);
+    std::string finalFileName = baseFileName;
+    std::string::size_type pos = baseFileName.find_last_of(".",baseFileName.length()-1);
     if(pos==std::string::npos)
       finalFileName.append(".%d.png");
     else
       finalFileName.insert(pos,".%d");
 
-    numericFileNameWriter->SetEndIndex(numberOfSlices);
+    std::cout << "Filename: " << finalFileName << std::endl;
+
+    numericFileNameWriter->SetEndIndex(numberOfImages);
     numericFileNameWriter->SetSeriesFormat(finalFileName.c_str());
     numericFileNameWriter->Modified();
     writer->SetFileNames(numericFileNameWriter->GetFileNames());
   }
   // if the given image is an 2D-png image, do not use the numericFileNameWriter
   // to generate the name, since it alters the fileName given as parameter
   else
   {
-    writer->SetFileName(fileName);
+    writer->SetFileName( baseFileName.c_str() );
+  }
+}
+
+template < typename TPixel, unsigned int VImageDimension >
+void _mitkItkPictureWrite(itk::Image< TPixel, VImageDimension >* itkImage, const std::string& fileName)
+{
+  typedef itk::Image< TPixel, VImageDimension > TImageType;
+
+  typedef itk::Image<unsigned char,3> UCharOutputImage3DType;
+  typedef itk::Image<unsigned short,3> ShortOutputImage3DType;
+  typedef itk::Image<unsigned char,2> OutputImage2D_8bitType;
+  typedef itk::Image<unsigned short,2> OutputImage2D_16bitType;
+
+  typedef itk::ImageSeriesWriter<UCharOutputImage3DType, OutputImage2D_8bitType> UCharWriterType;
+  typedef itk::ImageSeriesWriter<ShortOutputImage3DType, OutputImage2D_16bitType> ShortWriterType;
+
+  typedef itk::RescaleIntensityImageFilter<TImageType, UCharOutputImage3DType> UCharRescalerFilterType;
+  typedef itk::RescaleIntensityImageFilter<TImageType, ShortOutputImage3DType> ShortRescalerFilterType;
+
+  // get the size info
+  size_t inputTypeSize = sizeof(TPixel);
+  size_t supportedOutputMaxSize = 1; // default value 8bit
+
+  // the PNG and TIFF formats can handle up-to 16-bit images
+  if( fileName.find(".png") != std::string::npos || fileName.find(".tif") != std::string::npos )
+  {
+    supportedOutputMaxSize = 2;
   }
 
-  writer->SetInput( rescaler->GetOutput() );
-  writer->Update();
+  // get the dimension info
+  unsigned int numberOfImages = 1;
+  if( itkImage->GetImageDimension() > 2)
+    numberOfImages = itkImage->GetLargestPossibleRegion().GetSize()[2];
+
+  typename ShortRescalerFilterType::Pointer sh_rescaler = ShortRescalerFilterType::New();
+  sh_rescaler->SetInput( itkImage );
+  sh_rescaler->SetOutputMinimum( 0 );
+  sh_rescaler->SetOutputMaximum( 65535 );
+
+  typename UCharRescalerFilterType::Pointer rescaler = UCharRescalerFilterType::New();
+  rescaler->SetInput( itkImage );
+  rescaler->SetOutputMinimum( 0 );
+  rescaler->SetOutputMaximum( 255 );
+
+  //
+  if( inputTypeSize == 1)
+  {
+    UCharWriterType::Pointer writer = UCharWriterType::New();
+    SetOutputNames<UCharWriterType>( writer, fileName, numberOfImages );
+    writer->SetInput( rescaler->GetOutput() );
+    writer->Update();
+  }
+  // 16bit  16bit possible
+  else if ( inputTypeSize == supportedOutputMaxSize && supportedOutputMaxSize == 2 )
+  {
+    ShortWriterType::Pointer writer = ShortWriterType::New();
+    SetOutputNames<ShortWriterType>( writer, fileName, numberOfImages );
+    writer->SetInput( sh_rescaler->GetOutput() );
+    writer->Update();
+  }
+  // rescaling to maximum of supported format
+  else
+  {
+    if( supportedOutputMaxSize == 2)
+    {
+      typename ShortWriterType::Pointer writer = ShortWriterType::New();
+      SetOutputNames<ShortWriterType>( writer, fileName, numberOfImages );
+      writer->SetInput(sh_rescaler->GetOutput() );
+      writer->Update();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      typename UCharWriterType::Pointer writer = UCharWriterType::New();
+      SetOutputNames<UCharWriterType>( writer, fileName, numberOfImages );
+      writer->SetInput( rescaler->GetOutput() );
+      writer->Update();
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 template < typename TPixel, unsigned int VImageDimension >
 void _mitkItkPictureWriteComposite(itk::Image< TPixel, VImageDimension >* itkImage, const std::string& fileName)
 {
   typedef itk::Image< TPixel, VImageDimension > TImageType;
 
   typedef itk::ImageFileWriter< TImageType > WriterType;
   typename WriterType::Pointer simpleWriter = WriterType::New();
 
   simpleWriter->SetFileName( fileName );
   simpleWriter->SetInput( itkImage );
   try
   {
     simpleWriter->Update();
   }
   catch( itk::ExceptionObject &e)
   {
     std::cerr << "Caught exception while writing image with composite type: \n" << e.what();
   }
 }
 
 #define InstantiateAccessFunction__mitkItkPictureWrite(pixelType, dim) \
   template MITK_CORE_EXPORT void _mitkItkPictureWrite(itk::Image<pixelType,dim>*, const std::string&);
 
 #define InstantiateAccessFunction__mitkItkPictureWriteComposite(pixelType, dim) \
   template MITK_CORE_EXPORT void _mitkItkPictureWriteComposite(itk::Image<pixelType,dim>*, const std::string&);
 
 InstantiateAccessFunction(_mitkItkPictureWrite)
 
 InstantiateAccessFunctionForFixedPixelType( _mitkItkPictureWriteComposite, MITK_ACCESSBYITK_PIXEL_TYPES_SEQ MITK_ACCESSBYITK_COMPOSITE_PIXEL_TYPES_SEQ)
 
-// typedef itk::Image<itk::RGBPixel<unsigned char>, 2>  itkImageRGBUC2;
-// template <> void _mitkItkImageWrite<itk::RGBPixel<unsigned char>, 2>(itkImageRGBUC2* itkImage, const std::string& fileName)
-// {
-//   typedef itkImageRGBUC2 TImageType;
-//
-//   itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::Pointer writer = itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::New();
-//   writer->SetInput( itkImage );
-//   writer->SetFileName( fileName.c_str() );
-//   writer->Update();
-// };
-//
-// typedef itk::Image<itk::RGBPixel<unsigned char>, 3>  itkImageRGBUC3;
-// template <> void _mitkItkImageWrite<itk::RGBPixel<unsigned char>, 3>(itkImageRGBUC3* itkImage, const std::string& fileName)
-// {
-//   typedef itkImageRGBUC3 TImageType;
-//
-//   itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::Pointer writer = itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::New();
-//   writer->SetInput( itkImage );
-//   writer->SetFileName( fileName.c_str() );
-//   writer->Update();
-// };
-//
-// typedef itk::Image<itk::DiffusionTensor3D<float>, 3>  itkImageDTIF3;
-// template <> void _mitkItkImageWrite<itk::DiffusionTensor3D<float>, 3>(itkImageDTIF3* itkImage, const std::string& fileName)
-// {
-//   typedef itkImageDTIF3 TImageType;
-//
-//   itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::Pointer writer = itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::New();
-//   writer->SetInput( itkImage );
-//   writer->SetFileName( fileName.c_str() );
-//   writer->Update();
-// };
-//
-// typedef itk::Image<itk::DiffusionTensor3D<double>, 3>  itkImageDTID3;
-// template <> void _mitkItkImageWrite<itk::DiffusionTensor3D<double>, 3>(itkImageDTID3* itkImage, const std::string& fileName)
-// {
-//   typedef itkImageDTID3 TImageType;
-//
-//   itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::Pointer writer = itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::New();
-//   writer->SetInput( itkImage );
-//   writer->SetFileName( fileName.c_str() );
-//   writer->Update();
-// };
-//
-// typedef itk::Image<itk::DiffusionTensor3D<float>, 2>  itkImageDTIF2;
-// template <> void _mitkItkImageWrite<itk::DiffusionTensor3D<float>, 2>(itkImageDTIF2* itkImage, const std::string& fileName)
-// {
-//   typedef itkImageDTIF2 TImageType;
-//
-//   itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::Pointer writer = itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::New();
-//   writer->SetInput( itkImage );
-//   writer->SetFileName( fileName.c_str() );
-//   writer->Update();
-// };
-//
-// typedef itk::Image<itk::DiffusionTensor3D<double>, 2>  itkImageDTID2;
-// template <> void _mitkItkImageWrite<itk::DiffusionTensor3D<double>, 2>(itkImageDTID2* itkImage, const std::string& fileName)
-// {
-//   typedef itkImageDTID2 TImageType;
-//
-//   itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::Pointer writer = itk::ImageFileWriter<TImageType>::New();
-//   writer->SetInput( itkImage );
-//   writer->SetFileName( fileName.c_str() );
-//   writer->Update();
-// };
-