diff --git a/docs/api-output.md b/docs/api-output.md
index 82efea0f..4f37602a 100644
--- a/docs/api-output.md
+++ b/docs/api-output.md
@@ -31,6 +31,19 @@ A `Promise` is returned when `callback` is not provided.
     `channels` and `premultiplied` (indicating if premultiplication was used).
     When using a crop strategy also contains `cropOffsetLeft` and `cropOffsetTop`.
 
+**Examples**
+
+```javascript
+sharp(input)
+  .toFile('output.png', (err, info) => { ... });
+```
+
+```javascript
+sharp(input)
+  .toFile('output.png')
+  .then(info => { ... })
+  .catch(err => { ... });
+```
 
 -   Throws **[Error][13]** Invalid parameters
 
@@ -58,6 +71,27 @@ A `Promise` is returned when `callback` is not provided.
     -   `options.resolveWithObject` **[Boolean][16]?** Resolve the Promise with an Object containing `data` and `info` properties instead of resolving only with `data`.
 -   `callback` **[Function][12]?** 
 
+**Examples**
+
+```javascript
+sharp(input)
+  .toBuffer((err, data, info) => { ... });
+```
+
+```javascript
+sharp(input)
+  .toBuffer()
+  .then(data => { ... })
+  .catch(err => { ... });
+```
+
+```javascript
+sharp(input)
+  .toBuffer({ resolveWithObject: true })
+  .then(({ data, info }) => { ... })
+  .catch(err => { ... });
+```
+
 Returns **[Promise][14]<[Buffer][17]>** when no callback is provided
 
 ## withMetadata
@@ -71,6 +105,14 @@ This will also convert to and add a web-friendly sRGB ICC profile.
 -   `withMetadata` **[Object][15]?** 
     -   `withMetadata.orientation` **[Number][18]?** value between 1 and 8, used to update the EXIF `Orientation` tag.
 
+**Examples**
+
+```javascript
+sharp('input.jpg')
+  .withMetadata()
+  .toFile('output-with-metadata.jpg')
+  .then(info => { ... });
+```
 
 -   Throws **[Error][13]** Invalid parameters
 
@@ -92,6 +134,17 @@ Use these JPEG options for output image.
     -   `options.optimizeScans` **[Boolean][16]** alternative spelling of optimiseScans (optional, default `false`)
     -   `options.force` **[Boolean][16]** force JPEG output, otherwise attempt to use input format (optional, default `true`)
 
+**Examples**
+
+```javascript
+// Convert any input to very high quality JPEG output
+const data = await sharp(input)
+  .jpeg({
+    quality: 100,
+    chromaSubsampling: '4:4:4'
+  })
+  .toBuffer();
+```
 
 -   Throws **[Error][13]** Invalid options
 
@@ -101,6 +154,9 @@ Returns **Sharp**
 
 Use these PNG options for output image.
 
+PNG output is always full colour at 8 or 16 bits per pixel.
+Indexed PNG input at 1, 2 or 4 bits per pixel is converted to 8 bits per pixel.
+
 **Parameters**
 
 -   `options` **[Object][15]?** 
@@ -109,6 +165,14 @@ Use these PNG options for output image.
     -   `options.adaptiveFiltering` **[Boolean][16]** use adaptive row filtering (optional, default `false`)
     -   `options.force` **[Boolean][16]** force PNG output, otherwise attempt to use input format (optional, default `true`)
 
+**Examples**
+
+```javascript
+// Convert any input to PNG output
+const data = await sharp(input)
+  .png()
+  .toBuffer();
+```
 
 -   Throws **[Error][13]** Invalid options
 
@@ -127,6 +191,14 @@ Use these WebP options for output image.
     -   `options.nearLossless` **[Boolean][16]** use near_lossless compression mode (optional, default `false`)
     -   `options.force` **[Boolean][16]** force WebP output, otherwise attempt to use input format (optional, default `true`)
 
+**Examples**
+
+```javascript
+// Convert any input to lossless WebP output
+const data = await sharp(input)
+  .webp({ lossless: true })
+  .toBuffer();
+```
 
 -   Throws **[Error][13]** Invalid options
 
@@ -147,6 +219,18 @@ Use these TIFF options for output image.
     -   `options.yres` **[Number][18]** vertical resolution in pixels/mm (optional, default `1.0`)
     -   `options.squash` **[Boolean][16]** squash 8-bit images down to 1 bit (optional, default `false`)
 
+**Examples**
+
+```javascript
+// Convert SVG input to LZW-compressed, 1 bit per pixel TIFF output
+sharp('input.svg')
+  .tiff({
+    compression: 'lzw',
+    squash: true
+  })
+  .toFile('1-bpp-output.tiff')
+  .then(info => { ... });
+```
 
 -   Throws **[Error][13]** Invalid options
 
@@ -156,6 +240,15 @@ Returns **Sharp**
 
 Force output to be raw, uncompressed uint8 pixel data.
 
+**Examples**
+
+```javascript
+// Extract raw RGB pixel data from JPEG input
+const { data, info } = await sharp('input.jpg')
+  .raw()
+  .toBuffer({ resolveWithObject: true });
+```
+
 Returns **Sharp** 
 
 ## toFormat
@@ -167,6 +260,14 @@ Force output to a given format.
 -   `format` **([String][11] \| [Object][15])** as a String or an Object with an 'id' attribute
 -   `options` **[Object][15]** output options
 
+**Examples**
+
+```javascript
+// Convert any input to PNG output
+const data = await sharp(input)
+  .toFormat('png')
+  .toBuffer();
+```
 
 -   Throws **[Error][13]** unsupported format or options
 
diff --git a/lib/output.js b/lib/output.js
index 163d0a6c..528c2028 100644
--- a/lib/output.js
+++ b/lib/output.js
@@ -12,6 +12,16 @@ const sharp = require('../build/Release/sharp.node');
  *
  * A `Promise` is returned when `callback` is not provided.
  *
+ * @example
+ * sharp(input)
+ *   .toFile('output.png', (err, info) => { ... });
+ *
+ * @example
+ * sharp(input)
+ *   .toFile('output.png')
+ *   .then(info => { ... })
+ *   .catch(err => { ... });
+ *
  * @param {String} fileOut - the path to write the image data to.
  * @param {Function} [callback] - called on completion with two arguments `(err, info)`.
  * `info` contains the output image `format`, `size` (bytes), `width`, `height`,
@@ -58,6 +68,22 @@ function toFile (fileOut, callback) {
  *
  * A `Promise` is returned when `callback` is not provided.
  *
+ * @example
+ * sharp(input)
+ *   .toBuffer((err, data, info) => { ... });
+ *
+ * @example
+ * sharp(input)
+ *   .toBuffer()
+ *   .then(data => { ... })
+ *   .catch(err => { ... });
+ *
+ * @example
+ * sharp(input)
+ *   .toBuffer({ resolveWithObject: true })
+ *   .then(({ data, info }) => { ... })
+ *   .catch(err => { ... });
+ *
  * @param {Object} [options]
  * @param {Boolean} [options.resolveWithObject] Resolve the Promise with an Object containing `data` and `info` properties instead of resolving only with `data`.
  * @param {Function} [callback]
@@ -76,6 +102,13 @@ function toBuffer (options, callback) {
  * Include all metadata (EXIF, XMP, IPTC) from the input image in the output image.
  * The default behaviour, when `withMetadata` is not used, is to strip all metadata and convert to the device-independent sRGB colour space.
  * This will also convert to and add a web-friendly sRGB ICC profile.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * sharp('input.jpg')
+ *   .withMetadata()
+ *   .toFile('output-with-metadata.jpg')
+ *   .then(info => { ... });
+ *
  * @param {Object} [withMetadata]
  * @param {Number} [withMetadata.orientation] value between 1 and 8, used to update the EXIF `Orientation` tag.
  * @returns {Sharp}
@@ -97,6 +130,16 @@ function withMetadata (withMetadata) {
 
 /**
  * Use these JPEG options for output image.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * // Convert any input to very high quality JPEG output
+ * const data = await sharp(input)
+ *   .jpeg({
+ *     quality: 100,
+ *     chromaSubsampling: '4:4:4'
+ *   })
+ *   .toBuffer();
+ *
  * @param {Object} [options] - output options
  * @param {Number} [options.quality=80] - quality, integer 1-100
  * @param {Boolean} [options.progressive=false] - use progressive (interlace) scan
@@ -148,6 +191,16 @@ function jpeg (options) {
 
 /**
  * Use these PNG options for output image.
+ *
+ * PNG output is always full colour at 8 or 16 bits per pixel.
+ * Indexed PNG input at 1, 2 or 4 bits per pixel is converted to 8 bits per pixel.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * // Convert any input to PNG output
+ * const data = await sharp(input)
+ *   .png()
+ *   .toBuffer();
+ *
  * @param {Object} [options]
  * @param {Boolean} [options.progressive=false] - use progressive (interlace) scan
  * @param {Number} [options.compressionLevel=9] - zlib compression level, 0-9
@@ -177,6 +230,13 @@ function png (options) {
 
 /**
  * Use these WebP options for output image.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * // Convert any input to lossless WebP output
+ * const data = await sharp(input)
+ *   .webp({ lossless: true })
+ *   .toBuffer();
+ *
  * @param {Object} [options] - output options
  * @param {Number} [options.quality=80] - quality, integer 1-100
  * @param {Number} [options.alphaQuality=100] - quality of alpha layer, integer 0-100
@@ -212,6 +272,17 @@ function webp (options) {
 
 /**
  * Use these TIFF options for output image.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * // Convert SVG input to LZW-compressed, 1 bit per pixel TIFF output
+ * sharp('input.svg')
+ *   .tiff({
+ *     compression: 'lzw',
+ *     squash: true
+ *   })
+ *   .toFile('1-bpp-output.tiff')
+ *   .then(info => { ... });
+ *
  * @param {Object} [options] - output options
  * @param {Number} [options.quality=80] - quality, integer 1-100
  * @param {Boolean} [options.force=true] - force TIFF output, otherwise attempt to use input format
@@ -276,6 +347,13 @@ function tiff (options) {
 
 /**
  * Force output to be raw, uncompressed uint8 pixel data.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * // Extract raw RGB pixel data from JPEG input
+ * const { data, info } = await sharp('input.jpg')
+ *   .raw()
+ *   .toBuffer({ resolveWithObject: true });
+ *
  * @returns {Sharp}
  */
 function raw () {
@@ -284,6 +362,13 @@ function raw () {
 
 /**
  * Force output to a given format.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * // Convert any input to PNG output
+ * const data = await sharp(input)
+ *   .toFormat('png')
+ *   .toBuffer();
+ *
  * @param {(String|Object)} format - as a String or an Object with an 'id' attribute
  * @param {Object} options - output options
  * @returns {Sharp}