diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/OMFormat.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/OMFormat.hh
index 234e0844..514a932b 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/OMFormat.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/OMFormat.hh
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@
 #include <OpenMesh/Core/Utils/GenProg.hh>
 #include <OpenMesh/Core/Utils/Endian.hh>
 #include <OpenMesh/Core/Utils/vector_traits.hh>
-#include <OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/Handles.hh>
 // --------------------
 #include <iostream>
 #if defined(OM_CC_GCC) && (OM_GCC_VERSION < 30000)
@@ -279,30 +278,6 @@ namespace OMFormat {
   }; // Chunk
 
   // ------------------------------------------------------------ Helper
-  //----------------------get string for type recognition
-
-  template <typename T> std::string  get_type_string(){ return "unknown";}
-
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<OpenMesh::FaceHandle>(){ return "facehandle";}
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<OpenMesh::EdgeHandle>(){ return "edgehandle";}
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<OpenMesh::HalfedgeHandle>(){ return "halfedgehandle";}
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<OpenMesh::VertexHandle>(){ return "vertexhandle";}
-
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<bool>(){ return "bool";}
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<char>(){ return "char";}
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<double>(){ return "double";}
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<float>(){ return "float";}
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<int>(){ return "int";}
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<unsigned char>(){ return "uchar";}
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<unsigned int>(){ return "uint";}
-  template <> inline std::string  get_type_string<unsigned short>(){ return "ushort";}
-
-  template <typename T> std::string get_type_string(std::vector<T>)
-    { return "std::vector of " + get_type_string(T());}
-
-  template <typename T, int Dim> std::string get_type_string(OpenMesh::VectorT<T, Dim>)
-    { return "OM vector of dimension " + std::to_string(Dim) + " of type " + get_type_string(T()); }
-
   // -------------------- get size information
 
   /// Return size of header in bytes.
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/typename.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/typename.hh
index f67ae18b..44b4f1e9 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/typename.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/typename.hh
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <typeinfo>
+#include <vector>
+#include <OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/Handles.hh>
 
 namespace OpenMesh {
 
@@ -23,4 +25,28 @@ std::string get_type_name()
 #endif
 }
 
+//----------------------get string for type recognition-- can be used in file format
+
+inline std::string get_string_for_type(OpenMesh::FaceHandle){ return "facehandle";}
+inline std::string get_string_for_type(OpenMesh::EdgeHandle){ return "edgehandle";}
+
+inline std::string  get_string_for_type(OpenMesh::HalfedgeHandle){ return "halfedgehandle";}
+inline std::string  get_string_for_type(OpenMesh::VertexHandle){ return "vertexhandle";}
+
+inline std::string  get_string_for_type(bool){ return "bool";}
+inline std::string  get_string_for_type(char){ return "char";}
+inline std::string  get_string_for_type(double){ return "double";}
+inline std::string  get_string_for_type(float){ return "float";}
+inline std::string  get_string_for_type(int){ return "int";}
+inline std::string  get_string_for_type(unsigned char){ return "uchar";}
+inline std::string  get_string_for_type(unsigned int){ return "uint";}
+inline std::string  get_string_for_type(unsigned short){ return "ushort";}
+
+template <typename T> std::string  get_string_for_type(T){return "unknown";}
+template <typename T> std::string  get_string_for_type(std::vector<T>){ return "std::vector<" + get_string_for_type(T()) + ">";}
+
+
+//template <typename T, int Dim> std::string get_string_for_type(OpenMesh::VectorT<T, Dim>)
+//  { return "VectorT<"+ get_string_for_type(T(),"+std::to_string(Dim)+">";}
+
 }