diff --git a/lib/table_print/column.rb b/lib/table_print/column.rb
index ed997ce..b69c21f 100644
--- a/lib/table_print/column.rb
+++ b/lib/table_print/column.rb
@@ -37,12 +37,12 @@ def data_width
       if multibyte_count
         [
           name.each_char.collect{|c| c.bytesize == 1 ? 1 : 2}.inject(0, &:+),
-          Array(data).compact.collect(&:to_s).collect{|m| m.each_char.collect{|n| n.bytesize == 1 ? 1 : 2}.inject(0, &:+)}.max
+          Array(data).compact.collect{|s| escape_strip(s.to_s)}.collect{|m| m.each_char.collect{|n| n.bytesize == 1 ? 1 : 2}.inject(0, &:+)}.max
         ].compact.max || 0
       else
         [
           name.length,
-          Array(data).compact.collect(&:to_s).collect(&:length).max
+          Array(data).compact.collect{|s| escape_strip(s.to_s)}.collect(&:length).max
         ].compact.max || 0
       end
     end
@@ -59,5 +59,10 @@ def max_width
     def multibyte_count
       TablePrint::Config.multibyte
     end
+
+    def escape_strip(string)
+      return string unless string.class == String
+      string.gsub(/\e\[([0-9]{1,2};){0,2}[0-9]{1,2}m/,'')
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/table_print/formatter.rb b/lib/table_print/formatter.rb
index 8c254f5..17a4f51 100644
--- a/lib/table_print/formatter.rb
+++ b/lib/table_print/formatter.rb
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def initialize(width)
     end
 
     def format(value)
-      padding = width - length(value.to_s)
+      padding = width - length(escape_strip(value).to_s)
       truncate(value) + (padding < 0 ? '' : " " * padding)
     end
 
@@ -34,9 +34,12 @@ def truncate(value)
       return "" unless value
 
       value = value.to_s
-      return value unless value.length > width
 
-      "#{value[0..width-4]}..."
+      value_stripped, stripped_stuff = escape_strip(value, true)
+
+      return value unless value_stripped.length > width
+
+      "#{value[0..(width + stripped_stuff.length)-4]}..."
     end
 
     def length(str)
@@ -46,5 +49,16 @@ def length(str)
         str.length
       end
     end
+
+    def escape_strip(string, return_stripped_stuff = false)
+      return string unless string.class == String
+      stripped_stuff = ''
+      string_stripped = string.gsub(/\e\[([0-9]{1,2};){0,2}[0-9]{1,2}m/) do |s|
+        stripped_stuff << s
+        s = ''
+      end
+      return string_stripped, stripped_stuff if return_stripped_stuff == true
+      return string_stripped
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/column_spec.rb b/spec/column_spec.rb
index 7b9fe91..f1856e9 100644
--- a/spec/column_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/column_spec.rb
@@ -90,4 +90,10 @@
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe "#escape_strip" do
+    it "should strip shell escape characters" do
+      c.send(:escape_strip, "\e[0;32;49mGREEN\e[0m").should == "GREEN"
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/formatter_spec.rb b/spec/formatter_spec.rb
index 07c464c..4ecc26c 100644
--- a/spec/formatter_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/formatter_spec.rb
@@ -60,5 +60,19 @@
     it "turns objects into strings before trying to format them" do
       @f.format(123).should == "123       "
     end
+
+    it "ignores shell escape characters" do
+      @f.format("\e[0;32;49mGREEN\e[0m").should == "\e[0;32;49mGREEN\e[0m     "
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#escape_strip" do
+    it "should strip shell escape characters" do
+      @f.send(:escape_strip, "\e[0;32;49mGREEN\e[0m").should == "GREEN"
+    end
+
+    it "return stripped characters if requested" do
+      @f.send(:escape_strip, "\e[0;32;49mGREEN\e[0m", true).should == ["GREEN", "\e[0;32;49m\e[0m"]
+    end
   end
 end