diff --git a/include/blt/std/format.h b/include/blt/std/format.h
index d6556ab..69942f3 100755
--- a/include/blt/std/format.h
+++ b/include/blt/std/format.h
@@ -303,9 +303,25 @@ namespace blt::string
             std::vector<std::string> createTable(bool top = false, bool bottom = false);
     };
     
-    class TreeFormatter
+    class BinaryTreeFormatter
     {
         public:
+            // data classes
+            struct TreeFormat
+            {
+                int verticalSpacing;
+                int horizontalSpacing;
+                
+                int verticalPadding;
+                int horizontalPadding;
+                
+                // should we remove preceding spaces?
+                bool collapse = false;
+                
+                TreeFormat(): verticalSpacing(2), horizontalSpacing(4), verticalPadding(1), horizontalPadding(4)
+                {}
+            };
+            
             struct Node
             {
                 std::string data;
@@ -330,22 +346,11 @@ namespace blt::string
             };
         
         private:
-            // data classes
-            struct TreeFormat
-            {
-                int verticalSpacing;
-                int horizontalSpacing;
-                
-                int verticalPadding;
-                int horizontalPadding;
-                
-                TreeFormat(): verticalSpacing(2), horizontalSpacing(4), verticalPadding(1), horizontalPadding(4)
-                {}
-            } format;
+            TreeFormat format;
             
             Node* root;
         public:
-            explicit TreeFormatter(std::string rootData, TreeFormat format = {}): format(format), root(new Node(std::move(rootData)))
+            explicit BinaryTreeFormatter(std::string rootData, TreeFormat format = {}): format(format), root(new Node(std::move(rootData)))
             {}
             
             std::vector<std::string> generateBox(Node* node) const;
@@ -357,7 +362,7 @@ namespace blt::string
             
             std::vector<std::string> construct();
             
-            ~TreeFormatter()
+            BinaryTreeFormatter()
             {
                 delete root;
             }
diff --git a/src/blt/std/format.cpp b/src/blt/std/format.cpp
index 5b454f1..13ad443 100755
--- a/src/blt/std/format.cpp
+++ b/src/blt/std/format.cpp
@@ -146,11 +146,11 @@ void blt::string::TableFormatter::updateMaxColumnLengths()
 
 struct node_data
 {
-    blt::string::TreeFormatter::Node* node;
+    blt::string::BinaryTreeFormatter::Node* node;
     std::vector<std::string> box;
     size_t level;
     
-    node_data(blt::string::TreeFormatter::Node* node, size_t level): node(node), level(level)
+    node_data(blt::string::BinaryTreeFormatter::Node* node, size_t level): node(node), level(level)
     {}
 };
 
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ struct level_data
     size_t max_horizontal_length = 0;
 };
 
-std::vector<std::string> blt::string::TreeFormatter::construct()
+std::vector<std::string> blt::string::BinaryTreeFormatter::construct()
 {
     std::stack<level_data> levels;
     std::queue<node_data> bfs;
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ std::vector<std::string> blt::string::TreeFormatter::construct()
     std::reverse(lines.begin(), lines.end());
     
     size_t index = 1;
+    size_t minimal = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max();
     while (index < lines.size())
     {
         if (auto poses = blt::string::containsAll(lines[index], std::unordered_set{'$', '#', '@'}))
@@ -318,13 +319,29 @@ std::vector<std::string> blt::string::TreeFormatter::construct()
         blt::string::replaceAll(lines[index], "#", "+");
         blt::string::replaceAll(lines[index], "@", "+");
         blt::string::replaceAll(lines[index], "$", "+");
+        if (format.collapse)
+        {
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < lines[index].size(); i++)
+            {
+                if (lines[index][i] != ' ')
+                {
+                    minimal = std::min(minimal, i);
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+        }
         index++;
     }
     blt::string::replaceAll(lines.front(), "%", "-");
+    if (format.collapse)
+    {
+        for (auto& line : lines)
+            line = line.substr(minimal);
+    }
     return lines;
 }
 
-std::vector<std::string> blt::string::TreeFormatter::generateBox(blt::string::TreeFormatter::Node* node) const
+std::vector<std::string> blt::string::BinaryTreeFormatter::generateBox(blt::string::BinaryTreeFormatter::Node* node) const
 {
     if (node == nullptr)
         return {};
@@ -349,9 +366,9 @@ std::vector<std::string> blt::string::TreeFormatter::generateBox(blt::string::Tr
     std::string dataStr;
     dataStr.reserve(totalLength);
     dataStr += '|';
-    dataStr += createPadding(paddingLeft - 1);
+    dataStr += createPadding(std::max(paddingLeft, 1) - 1);
     dataStr += data;
-    dataStr += createPadding(paddingRight - 1);
+    dataStr += createPadding(std::max(paddingRight, 1) - 1);
     dataStr += '|';
     
     lines.push_back(hline);
diff --git a/tests/src/utility_test.cpp b/tests/src/utility_test.cpp
index 8ecae8e..2232abc 100644
--- a/tests/src/utility_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/utility_test.cpp
@@ -59,12 +59,16 @@ void blt::test::utility::run()
     
     printLines(tableTest.createTable(true, true));
     
-    
-    blt::string::TreeFormatter treeFormatter("I love Men");
+    blt::string::BinaryTreeFormatter::TreeFormat format;
+    format.horizontalPadding = 3;
+    format.verticalPadding = 0;
+    format.horizontalSpacing = 3;
+    format.collapse = true;
+    blt::string::BinaryTreeFormatter treeFormatter("I love Men", format);
     treeFormatter.getRoot()->with(
-            (new string::TreeFormatter::Node("Guys"))->with(nullptr, new string::TreeFormatter::Node("Child2")),
-            (new string::TreeFormatter::Node("Femboys"))
-                    ->with(nullptr, new string::TreeFormatter::Node("Child1")));
+            (new string::BinaryTreeFormatter::Node("Guys"))->with(nullptr, new string::BinaryTreeFormatter::Node("Child2")),
+            (new string::BinaryTreeFormatter::Node("Femboys"))
+                    ->with(nullptr, new string::BinaryTreeFormatter::Node("Child1")));
     printLines(treeFormatter.construct());