diff --git a/screenless/bureau/bureau.py b/screenless/bureau/bureau.py
index dc50c5a..4061681 100644
--- a/screenless/bureau/bureau.py
+++ b/screenless/bureau/bureau.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import configparser
 import functools
 import inspect
 import json
+import logging
 import os.path
 import subprocess
 import tempfile
@@ -85,6 +86,12 @@ class Bureau(object):
             os.mkdir(basepath)
         os.chdir(basepath)
 
+        # setup log file
+        # TODO: make log level globally and bureau-specific via config
+        logfile = os.path.join(basepath, self.prefix + ".log")
+        logging.basicConfig(filename=logfile, level=logging.DEBUG)
+        self.log = logging.getLogger(self.prefix)
+
         self.config = configparser.ConfigParser()
         self.load_config()
 
@@ -101,9 +108,9 @@ class Bureau(object):
         self.context = zmq.Context()
         self._recv = self.context.socket(zmq.REP)
         self._recv.bind("ipc://" + self.prefix + ".ipc")
-        print(("bureau " + self.name + " waiting for messages"))
-        print("commands: ")
-        print(self.commands)
+        self.log.debug("bureau " + self.name + " waiting for messages")
+        self.log.debug("commands: ")
+        self.log.debug(self.commands)
 
     def load_config(self):
         """
@@ -152,7 +159,8 @@ class Bureau(object):
                 # TODO: this may need some better error handling
                 return resp
         else:
-            print("message sent... timed out after 10 seconds.")
+            self.log.warning("message" + message + 
+                             " sent... timed out after 10 seconds.")
             return None
 
     def _publish_methods(self):
@@ -201,9 +209,9 @@ class Bureau(object):
                 else:
                     self.send("IR", "addapi", api_detail)
 
-        print("registered:")
-        print(self.commands)
-        print(self.api)
+        self.log.debug("registered:")
+        self.log.debug(self.commands)
+        self.log.debug(self.api)
 
     def print_full(self, template, **kwargs):
         """print a full page (A4) document """
@@ -215,7 +223,7 @@ class Bureau(object):
         htmlfile = os.fdopen(htmlfile, "w")
         # run template with kwargs
         templfile = os.path.join(self.mdir, template)
-        print("using template: ", templfile)
+        self.log.debug("printing with template: ", templfile)
         templ = Template(filename=templfile)
         htmlfile.write(templ.render_unicode(**kwargs))
         htmlfile.close()
@@ -232,7 +240,7 @@ class Bureau(object):
 
         # TODO: make paper size a config variable
         pdfpath = tempfile.mkstemp(".pdf")[1]
-        print("rendering with: ", self.html2pdf + htmlpath + " " + pdfpath)
+        self.log.debug("rendering with: ", self.html2pdf + htmlpath + " " + pdfpath)
         subprocess.call(self.html2pdf + htmlpath + " " + pdfpath +
                         " A4 1920px", shell=True)
         subprocess.call("lpr " + pdfpath, shell=True)
@@ -306,22 +314,22 @@ class Bureau(object):
                 time.sleep(0.05)  # don't waste CPU
                 continue
             try:
-                print("got message:", msg)
+                self.log.debug("got message:", msg)
                 dot = msg.find(".")
                 ref = msg[:dot]
                 if (dot < len(msg) - 1) and (dot > 0):
-                    print("msg length:", len(msg))
-                    print("dot at", dot)
+                    self.log.debug("msg length:", len(msg))
+                    self.log.debug("dot at", dot)
                     # TODO: maybe trim off the trailing "." for convenience
                     data = msg[dot + 1:]
                     # data = str(data)  # force to be a string
                 else:
                     data = None
-                print("data: " + str(data))
+                self.log.debug("data: " + str(data))
             except IndexError as err:
-                print("invalid message: ", err)
+                self.log.warning("invalid message: ", err)
                 continue
-            print(("got method: " + ref))
+            self.log.debug(("got method: " + ref))
 
             if (ref in self.commands) or (ref in self.api):
                 # catch TypeErrors for case of bogus params
@@ -346,12 +354,12 @@ class Bureau(object):
                 #    print("invalid data for command '{}': {}".format(ref, data))
                 #    self._recv.send_unicode("Error.  Invalid or missing data.")
                 except KeyError as err:
-                    print(err)
-                    print("You are calling a command as an API or vice-versa.")
+                    self.log.warning(err)
+                    self.log.warning("You are calling a command as an API or vice-versa.")
                     self._recv.send_unicode(
                         "Error. Command called as API or API as command.")
             else:
-                print("error! Command/API %s not found", ref)
+                self.log.warning("error! Command/API %s not found", ref)
                 self._recv.send_unicode("Error! Command/API not found.")