diff --git a/src/nmreval/io/fcbatchreader.py b/src/nmreval/io/fcbatchreader.py
index f221bfe..9bb09fb 100644
--- a/src/nmreval/io/fcbatchreader.py
+++ b/src/nmreval/io/fcbatchreader.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import numpy as np
 from nmreval.data.points import Points
 from nmreval.io.asciireader import AsciiReader
 from nmreval.io.hdfreader import HdfReader
+from nmreval.lib.logger import logger
 from nmreval.utils.utils import get_temperature, roundrobin
 
 
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ class FCReader:
                 _temp = self._read_from_dir(filename)
 
             else:
-                raise TypeError
+                raise TypeError(f'{filename} is of unknown type')
 
             if not _temp:
                 raise OSError(-666, f'No magnetization found for {filename.name}.', filename.name)
@@ -212,7 +213,7 @@ class FCReader:
                     except KeyError:
                         self.f_params[k] = [new_entry]
 
-                if True: # save_fits or save_fig:
+                if True:  # save_fits or save_fig:
                     xplot = np.geomspace(v.x[0], v.x[-1], num=10*len(v.x))
                     yplot = FCReader.kww(xplot, *p0)
                     save_name = f'{filename.stem}_{k:011.2f}'.replace('.', 'p') + '.dat'
@@ -224,33 +225,30 @@ class FCReader:
                     img_file = image_path.joinpath(save_name).with_suffix(".png")
 
                     gnuplot_args = [
-                        'gnuplot',
-                        '-e',
-                        'set terminal png',
-                        f'set output "{img_file}"',
-                        f'set title "f = {k:.4g} Hz\n{p0[2]:.4g}(+/-{perr[2]:.4g}) beta: {p0[3]:.4g}(+/-{perr[3]:.4g})"',
-                        'set xlabel "t / s"',
-                        'set logscale x',
-                        'set format x "10^{{%L}}"',
-                        'set ylabel "M"',
-                        'set key off',
-                        f'plot "{data_path.joinpath(save_name)}" with points pointtype 5, "{fit_path.joinpath(save_name)}" with lines',
+                        'set terminal png;',
+                        f'set output "{img_file}";',
+                        f'set title "f = {k:.4g} Hz\\n{p0[2]:.4g}(+/-{perr[2]:.4g}) beta: {p0[3]:.4g}(+/-{perr[3]:.4g})";',
+                        'set xlabel "t / s";',
+                        'set logscale x;',
+                        'set format x "10^{{%L}}";',
+                        'set ylabel "M";',
+                        'set key off;',
+                        f'plot "{data_path.joinpath(save_name)}" with points pointtype 5, "{fit_path.joinpath(save_name)}" with lines;',
                     ]
 
-                    print(gnuplot_args)
-
-                    subprocess.Popen(gnuplot_args)
-
-                    # if save_fig:
-                    #     fig, ax = plt.subplots()
-                    #     ax.set_xlabel('t / s')
-                    #     ax.set_ylabel('M')
-                    #     axheader = f'T1: {p0[2]:.4g}(+/-{perr[2]:.4g}) beta: {p0[3]:.4g}(+/-{perr[3]:.4g})'
-                    #     ax.set_title(f'f = {k:.4g} Hz\n{axheader}')
-                    #     ax.semilogx(v.x, v.y, 'o')
-                    #     ax.semilogx(xplot, yplot, '-')
-                    #     fig.savefig(image_path.joinpath(save_name).with_suffix('.png'))
-                    #     plt.close(fig)
+                    try:
+                        proc = subprocess.Popen(
+                            ['gnuplot', '-p'],
+                            shell=True,
+                            stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
+                            encoding='utf8',
+                        )
+                        for args in gnuplot_args:
+                            proc.stdin.write(args)
+                        proc.stdin.write('quit\n')
+                        proc.stdin.flush()
+                    except Exception as e:
+                        logger.error(f'saving image {save_name} failed', e)
 
             freqs = np.asanyarray(freqs)
             params = np.asanyarray(params)