diff --git a/laymanshex.go b/laymanshex.go
index 04bffd2..ab1c646 100644
--- a/laymanshex.go
+++ b/laymanshex.go
@@ -420,20 +420,24 @@ func getValues(descr fileDescription, binpath string) map[string]string {
 	return vals
 }
 
-func fmtPadding(descr fileDescription) string {
+func fmtPadding(descr fileDescription, nopadding bool) (string, string, string) {
+	if nopadding {
+		return "", "", ""
+	}
 	pad := 0
 	for _, part := range descr.parts {
 		if n := len(part.name); n > pad {
 			pad = n
 		}
 	}
-	return strconv.Itoa(pad)
+	return strconv.Itoa(pad), " ", " "
 }
 
-func printValues(descr fileDescription, vals map[string]string) {
+func printValues(descr fileDescription, vals map[string]string, nopadding bool) {
+	firstCol, space1, space2 := fmtPadding(descr, nopadding)
 	for _, part := range descr.parts {
 		if part.name != "" {
-			fmt.Printf("%"+fmtPadding(descr)+"s = %s\n", part.name, vals[part.name])
+			fmt.Printf("%"+firstCol+"s%s=%s%s\n", part.name, space1, space2, vals[part.name])
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -446,9 +450,11 @@ func printUsage() {
 func main() {
 	var setAssignments string
 	var formatAssignments string
-	flag.StringVar(&setAssignments, "set", "", "key=value pairs (e.g. \"key1=value1,key2=value2\")")
-	flag.StringVar(&formatAssignments, "fvar", "", "key=value pairs (e.g. \"key1=value1,key2=value2\")")
+	var nopadding bool
+	flag.StringVar(&setAssignments, "set", "", "set values in binary file to key=value pairs (e.g. \"key1=value1,key2=value2\")")
+	flag.StringVar(&formatAssignments, "fvar", "", "assign values to variables in format description with key=value pairs (e.g. \"key1=value1,key2=value2\")")
 	flag.BoolVar(&debug, "debug", false, "print recognized parts of the format file")
+	flag.BoolVar(&nopadding, "nopadding", false, "turn of column padding (useful for bash scripting")
 	flag.Parse()
 	args := flag.Args()
 	if len(args) != 2 {
@@ -459,5 +465,5 @@ func main() {
 	if setAssignments != "" {
 		setValues(descr, args[1], readSetAssignments(descr, setAssignments))
 	}
-	printValues(descr, getValues(descr, args[1]))
+	printValues(descr, getValues(descr, args[1]), nopadding)
 }