diff --git a/vtkm/io/CMakeLists.txt b/vtkm/io/CMakeLists.txt
index 2cb4fad43..2e5a15f11 100644
--- a/vtkm/io/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/vtkm/io/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,10 +10,24 @@
 
 set(headers
   ErrorIO.h
+  DecodePNG.h
+  EncodePNG.h
+)
+
+set(sources
+  DecodePNG.cxx
+  EncodePNG.cxx
 )
 
 vtkm_declare_headers(${headers})
 
+vtkm_library( NAME vtkm_io
+              SOURCES ${sources}
+              HEADERS ${headers}
+            )
+
+target_link_libraries(vtkm_io PUBLIC vtkm_cont PRIVATE vtkm_lodepng)
+
 add_subdirectory(internal)
 add_subdirectory(reader)
 add_subdirectory(writer)
diff --git a/vtkm/rendering/DecodePNG.cxx b/vtkm/io/DecodePNG.cxx
similarity index 93%
rename from vtkm/rendering/DecodePNG.cxx
rename to vtkm/io/DecodePNG.cxx
index ab2a656e4..8d89e15b9 100644
--- a/vtkm/rendering/DecodePNG.cxx
+++ b/vtkm/io/DecodePNG.cxx
@@ -8,18 +8,19 @@
 //  PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notice for more information.
 //============================================================================
 
-#include <vtkm/rendering/DecodePNG.h>
+#include <vtkm/io/DecodePNG.h>
 
 #include <vtkm/cont/Logging.h>
 #include <vtkm/internal/Configure.h>
 
+
 VTKM_THIRDPARTY_PRE_INCLUDE
 #include <vtkm/thirdparty/lodepng/vtkmlodepng/lodepng.h>
 VTKM_THIRDPARTY_POST_INCLUDE
 
 namespace vtkm
 {
-namespace rendering
+namespace io
 {
 
 vtkm::UInt32 DecodePNG(std::vector<unsigned char>& out_image,
@@ -39,4 +40,4 @@ vtkm::UInt32 DecodePNG(std::vector<unsigned char>& out_image,
   return retcode;
 }
 }
-} // namespace vtkm::rendering
+} // namespace vtkm::io
diff --git a/vtkm/io/DecodePNG.h b/vtkm/io/DecodePNG.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1cc886d23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vtkm/io/DecodePNG.h
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+//============================================================================
+//  Copyright (c) Kitware, Inc.
+//  All rights reserved.
+//  See LICENSE.txt for details.
+//
+//  This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even
+//  the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+//  PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notice for more information.
+//============================================================================
+#ifndef vtk_m_io_DecodePNG_h
+#define vtk_m_io_DecodePNG_h
+
+#include <vtkm/Types.h>
+#include <vtkm/io/vtkm_io_export.h>
+
+#include <vector>
+
+namespace vtkm
+{
+namespace io
+{
+
+/// Decodes a PNG file buffer in memory, into a raw pixel buffer
+/// Output is RGBA 32-bit (8 bit per channel) color format
+/// no matter what color type the original PNG image had. This gives predictable,
+/// usable data from any random input PNG.
+///
+VTKM_IO_EXPORT
+vtkm::UInt32 DecodePNG(std::vector<unsigned char>& out_image,
+                       unsigned long& image_width,
+                       unsigned long& image_height,
+                       const unsigned char* in_png,
+                       std::size_t in_size);
+}
+} // vtkm::io
+
+#endif //vtk_m_io_DecodePNG_h
diff --git a/vtkm/rendering/EncodePNG.cxx b/vtkm/io/EncodePNG.cxx
similarity index 96%
rename from vtkm/rendering/EncodePNG.cxx
rename to vtkm/io/EncodePNG.cxx
index 11dbb14ed..046f97afc 100644
--- a/vtkm/rendering/EncodePNG.cxx
+++ b/vtkm/io/EncodePNG.cxx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 //  PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notice for more information.
 //============================================================================
 #include <algorithm> // for std::equal
-#include <vtkm/rendering/EncodePNG.h>
+#include <vtkm/io/EncodePNG.h>
 
 #include <vtkm/cont/Logging.h>
 #include <vtkm/internal/Configure.h>
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ VTKM_THIRDPARTY_POST_INCLUDE
 
 namespace vtkm
 {
-namespace rendering
+namespace io
 {
 
 vtkm::UInt32 EncodePNG(std::vector<unsigned char> const& image,
@@ -68,4 +68,4 @@ vtkm::UInt32 SavePNG(std::string const& filename,
   return error;
 }
 }
-} // namespace vtkm::rendering
+} // namespace vtkm::io
diff --git a/vtkm/io/EncodePNG.h b/vtkm/io/EncodePNG.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8b012973b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vtkm/io/EncodePNG.h
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+//============================================================================
+//  Copyright (c) Kitware, Inc.
+//  All rights reserved.
+//  See LICENSE.txt for details.
+//
+//  This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even
+//  the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+//  PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notice for more information.
+//============================================================================
+#ifndef vtk_m_io_EncodePNG_h
+#define vtk_m_io_EncodePNG_h
+
+#include <vtkm/Types.h>
+#include <vtkm/io/vtkm_io_export.h>
+
+#include <vector>
+
+namespace vtkm
+{
+namespace io
+{
+
+VTKM_IO_EXPORT
+vtkm::UInt32 EncodePNG(std::vector<unsigned char> const& image,
+                       unsigned long width,
+                       unsigned long height,
+                       unsigned char* out_png,
+                       std::size_t out_size);
+
+VTKM_IO_EXPORT
+vtkm::UInt32 SavePNG(std::string const& filename,
+                     std::vector<unsigned char> const& image,
+                     unsigned long width,
+                     unsigned long height);
+}
+} // vtkm::io
+
+#endif //vtk_m_io_EncodePNG_h
diff --git a/vtkm/rendering/CMakeLists.txt b/vtkm/rendering/CMakeLists.txt
index 2c80d8cda..add1b528f 100644
--- a/vtkm/rendering/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/vtkm/rendering/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ set(headers
   ColorLegendAnnotation.h
   ConnectivityProxy.h
   Cylinderizer.h
-  DecodePNG.h
-  EncodePNG.h
+  DecodePNG.h # deprecated
+  EncodePNG.h # deprecated
   LineRenderer.h
   MatrixHelpers.h
   Scene.h
@@ -85,8 +85,6 @@ set(sources
 
   Camera.cxx
   Color.cxx
-  DecodePNG.cxx
-  EncodePNG.cxx
   raytracing/Logger.cxx
   )
 
@@ -200,8 +198,7 @@ elseif(VTKm_ENABLE_EGL_CONTEXT)
 endif()
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-target_link_libraries(vtkm_rendering PUBLIC vtkm_filter
-                                     PRIVATE vtkm_lodepng)
+target_link_libraries(vtkm_rendering PUBLIC vtkm_filter vtkm_io)
 if(UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
   target_link_libraries(vtkm_rendering PRIVATE rt)
 endif()
diff --git a/vtkm/rendering/Canvas.cxx b/vtkm/rendering/Canvas.cxx
index 431c9e64d..8b510536f 100644
--- a/vtkm/rendering/Canvas.cxx
+++ b/vtkm/rendering/Canvas.cxx
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
 
 #include <vtkm/cont/ArrayHandleCounting.h>
 #include <vtkm/cont/TryExecute.h>
+#include <vtkm/io/DecodePNG.h>
+#include <vtkm/io/EncodePNG.h>
 #include <vtkm/rendering/BitmapFontFactory.h>
-#include <vtkm/rendering/DecodePNG.h>
-#include <vtkm/rendering/EncodePNG.h>
 #include <vtkm/rendering/LineRenderer.h>
 #include <vtkm/rendering/TextRenderer.h>
 #include <vtkm/rendering/WorldAnnotator.h>
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ bool Canvas::LoadFont() const
   const std::vector<unsigned char>& rawPNG = Internals->Font.GetRawImageData();
   std::vector<unsigned char> rgba;
   unsigned long textureWidth, textureHeight;
-  auto error = DecodePNG(rgba, textureWidth, textureHeight, &rawPNG[0], rawPNG.size());
+  auto error = io::DecodePNG(rgba, textureWidth, textureHeight, &rawPNG[0], rawPNG.size());
   if (error != 0)
   {
     return false;
@@ -598,7 +598,8 @@ void Canvas::SaveAs(const std::string& fileName) const
       }
     }
 
-    SavePNG(fileName, img, static_cast<unsigned long>(width), static_cast<unsigned long>(height));
+    vtkm::io::SavePNG(
+      fileName, img, static_cast<unsigned long>(width), static_cast<unsigned long>(height));
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/vtkm/rendering/DecodePNG.h b/vtkm/rendering/DecodePNG.h
index 5f97f06a5..5f35b4b6c 100644
--- a/vtkm/rendering/DecodePNG.h
+++ b/vtkm/rendering/DecodePNG.h
@@ -9,29 +9,26 @@
 //============================================================================
 #ifndef vtk_m_rendering_DecodePNG_h
 #define vtk_m_rendering_DecodePNG_h
-
-#include <vtkm/Types.h>
+#include <vtkm/Deprecated.h>
+#include <vtkm/io/DecodePNG.h>
 #include <vtkm/rendering/vtkm_rendering_export.h>
 
-#include <vector>
-
 namespace vtkm
 {
 namespace rendering
 {
 
-/// Decodes a PNG file buffer in memory, into a raw pixel buffer
-/// Output is RGBA 32-bit (8 bit per channel) color format
-/// no matter what color type the original PNG image had. This gives predictable,
-/// usable data from any random input PNG.
-///
 VTKM_RENDERING_EXPORT
 vtkm::UInt32 DecodePNG(std::vector<unsigned char>& out_image,
                        unsigned long& image_width,
                        unsigned long& image_height,
                        const unsigned char* in_png,
-                       std::size_t in_size);
+                       std::size_t in_size) VTKM_DEPRECATED("Please use vtkm::io::DecodePNG")
+{
+  return vtkm::io::DecodePNG(out_image, image_width, image_height, in_png, in_size);
+}
 }
 } // vtkm::rendering
 
-#endif //vtk_m_rendering_DecodePNG_h
+
+#endif
diff --git a/vtkm/rendering/EncodePNG.h b/vtkm/rendering/EncodePNG.h
index bfca11c93..4bcb37735 100644
--- a/vtkm/rendering/EncodePNG.h
+++ b/vtkm/rendering/EncodePNG.h
@@ -10,11 +10,9 @@
 #ifndef vtk_m_rendering_EncodePNG_h
 #define vtk_m_rendering_EncodePNG_h
 
-#include <vtkm/Types.h>
+#include <vtkm/io/EncodePNG.h>
 #include <vtkm/rendering/vtkm_rendering_export.h>
 
-#include <vector>
-
 namespace vtkm
 {
 namespace rendering
@@ -25,13 +23,19 @@ vtkm::UInt32 EncodePNG(std::vector<unsigned char> const& image,
                        unsigned long width,
                        unsigned long height,
                        unsigned char* out_png,
-                       std::size_t out_size);
+                       std::size_t out_size) VTKM_DEPRECATED("Please use vtkm::io::EncodePNG.")
+{
+  return io::EncodePNG(image, width, height, out_png, out_size);
+}
 
-VTKM_RENDERING_EXPORT
+VTKM_IO_EXPORT
 vtkm::UInt32 SavePNG(std::string const& filename,
                      std::vector<unsigned char> const& image,
                      unsigned long width,
-                     unsigned long height);
+                     unsigned long height) VTKM_DEPRECATED("Please use SavePNG from vtkm::io")
+{
+  return io::SavePNG(filename, image, width, height);
+}
 }
 } // vtkm::rendering