diff --git a/include/fmt/printf.h b/include/fmt/printf.h
index e8caecaa..005df5f1 100644
--- a/include/fmt/printf.h
+++ b/include/fmt/printf.h
@@ -573,18 +573,41 @@ void printf(internal::basic_buffer<Char> &buf, basic_string_view<Char> format,
 }
 
 template <typename Buffer>
-struct printf_context {
+struct basic_printf_context_t {
   typedef basic_printf_context<
     std::back_insert_iterator<Buffer>, typename Buffer::value_type> type;
 };
 
-typedef basic_format_args<printf_context<internal::buffer>::type> printf_args;
-typedef basic_format_args<printf_context<internal::wbuffer>::type> wprintf_args;
+typedef basic_printf_context_t<internal::buffer>::type printf_context;
+typedef basic_printf_context_t<internal::wbuffer>::type wprintf_context;
+
+typedef basic_format_args<printf_context> printf_args;
+typedef basic_format_args<wprintf_context> wprintf_args;
+
+/**
+  \rst
+  Constructs an `~fmt::format_arg_store` object that contains references to
+  arguments and can be implicitly converted to `~fmt::printf_args`. 
+  \endrst
+ */
+template<typename... Args>
+inline format_arg_store<printf_context, Args...>
+  make_printf_args(const Args &... args) { return {args...}; }
+
+/**
+  \rst
+  Constructs an `~fmt::format_arg_store` object that contains references to
+  arguments and can be implicitly converted to `~fmt::wprintf_args`. 
+  \endrst
+ */
+template<typename... Args>
+inline format_arg_store<wprintf_context, Args...>
+  make_wprintf_args(const Args &... args) { return {args...}; }
 
 template <typename S, typename Char = FMT_CHAR(S)>
 inline std::basic_string<Char>
 vsprintf(const S &format,
-         basic_format_args<typename printf_context<
+         basic_format_args<typename basic_printf_context_t<
            internal::basic_buffer<Char>>::type> args) {
   basic_memory_buffer<Char> buffer;
   printf(buffer, to_string_view(format), args);
@@ -605,7 +628,7 @@ inline FMT_ENABLE_IF_STRING(S, std::basic_string<FMT_CHAR(S)>)
     sprintf(const S &format, const Args & ... args) {
   internal::check_format_string<Args...>(format);
   typedef internal::basic_buffer<FMT_CHAR(S)> buffer;
-  typedef typename printf_context<buffer>::type context;
+  typedef typename basic_printf_context_t<buffer>::type context;
   format_arg_store<context, Args...> as{ args... };
   return vsprintf(to_string_view(format),
                   basic_format_args<context>(as));
@@ -613,7 +636,7 @@ inline FMT_ENABLE_IF_STRING(S, std::basic_string<FMT_CHAR(S)>)
 
 template <typename S, typename Char = FMT_CHAR(S)>
 inline int vfprintf(std::FILE *f, const S &format,
-                    basic_format_args<typename printf_context<
+                    basic_format_args<typename basic_printf_context_t<
                       internal::basic_buffer<Char>>::type> args) {
   basic_memory_buffer<Char> buffer;
   printf(buffer, to_string_view(format), args);
@@ -636,7 +659,7 @@ inline FMT_ENABLE_IF_STRING(S, int)
     fprintf(std::FILE *f, const S &format, const Args & ... args) {
   internal::check_format_string<Args...>(format);
   typedef internal::basic_buffer<FMT_CHAR(S)> buffer;
-  typedef typename printf_context<buffer>::type context;
+  typedef typename basic_printf_context_t<buffer>::type context;
   format_arg_store<context, Args...> as{ args... };
   return vfprintf(f, to_string_view(format),
                   basic_format_args<context>(as));
@@ -644,7 +667,7 @@ inline FMT_ENABLE_IF_STRING(S, int)
 
 template <typename S, typename Char = FMT_CHAR(S)>
 inline int vprintf(const S &format,
-                   basic_format_args<typename printf_context<
+                   basic_format_args<typename basic_printf_context_t<
                     internal::basic_buffer<Char>>::type> args) {
   return vfprintf(stdout, to_string_view(format), args);
 }
@@ -663,7 +686,7 @@ inline FMT_ENABLE_IF_STRING(S, int)
     printf(const S &format_str, const Args & ... args) {
   internal::check_format_string<Args...>(format_str);
   typedef internal::basic_buffer<FMT_CHAR(S)> buffer;
-  typedef typename printf_context<buffer>::type context;
+  typedef typename basic_printf_context_t<buffer>::type context;
   format_arg_store<context, Args...> as{ args... };
   return vprintf(to_string_view(format_str),
                  basic_format_args<context>(as));
@@ -672,7 +695,7 @@ inline FMT_ENABLE_IF_STRING(S, int)
 template <typename S, typename Char = FMT_CHAR(S)>
 inline int vfprintf(std::basic_ostream<Char> &os,
                     const S &format,
-                    basic_format_args<typename printf_context<
+                    basic_format_args<typename basic_printf_context_t<
                       internal::basic_buffer<Char>>::type> args) {
   basic_memory_buffer<Char> buffer;
   printf(buffer, to_string_view(format), args);
@@ -695,7 +718,7 @@ inline FMT_ENABLE_IF_STRING(S, int)
             const S &format_str, const Args & ... args) {
   internal::check_format_string<Args...>(format_str);
   typedef internal::basic_buffer<FMT_CHAR(S)> buffer;
-  typedef typename printf_context<buffer>::type context;
+  typedef typename basic_printf_context_t<buffer>::type context;
   format_arg_store<context, Args...> as{ args... };
   return vfprintf(os, to_string_view(format_str),
                   basic_format_args<context>(as));
diff --git a/test/printf-test.cc b/test/printf-test.cc
index d3e222f2..f40c302f 100644
--- a/test/printf-test.cc
+++ b/test/printf-test.cc
@@ -501,9 +501,8 @@ TEST(PrintfTest, OStream) {
 }
 
 TEST(PrintfTest, VPrintf) {
-  typedef fmt::printf_context<fmt::internal::buffer>::type context;
-  fmt::format_arg_store<context, int> as{42};
-  fmt::basic_format_args<context> args(as);
+  fmt::format_arg_store<fmt::printf_context, int> as{42};
+  fmt::basic_format_args<fmt::printf_context> args(as);
   EXPECT_EQ(fmt::vsprintf("%d", args), "42");
   EXPECT_WRITE(stdout, fmt::vprintf("%d", args), "42");
   EXPECT_WRITE(stdout, fmt::vfprintf(stdout, "%d", args), "42");
@@ -518,3 +517,42 @@ void check_format_string_regression(fmt::string_view s, const Args&... args) {
 TEST(PrintfTest, CheckFormatStringRegression) {
   check_format_string_regression("%c%s", 'x', "");
 }
+
+TEST(PrintfTest, VSPrintfMakeArgsExample) {
+  fmt::format_arg_store<fmt::printf_context, int, const char *> as{
+      42, "something"};
+  fmt::basic_format_args<fmt::printf_context> args(as);
+  EXPECT_EQ(
+      "[42] something happened", fmt::vsprintf("[%d] %s happened", args));
+  auto as2 = fmt::make_printf_args(42, "something");
+  fmt::basic_format_args<fmt::printf_context> args2(as2);
+  EXPECT_EQ(
+      "[42] something happened", fmt::vsprintf("[%d] %s happened", args2));
+  //the older gcc versions can't cast the return value
+#if !defined(__GNUC__) || (__GNUC__ > 4) 
+  EXPECT_EQ(
+      "[42] something happened",
+      fmt::vsprintf(
+          "[%d] %s happened", fmt::make_printf_args(42, "something")));
+#endif
+}
+
+TEST(PrintfTest, VSPrintfMakeWArgsExample) {
+  fmt::format_arg_store<fmt::wprintf_context, int, const wchar_t *> as{
+     42, L"something"};
+  fmt::basic_format_args<fmt::wprintf_context> args(as);
+  EXPECT_EQ(
+     L"[42] something happened",
+     fmt::vsprintf(L"[%d] %s happened", args));
+  auto  as2 = fmt::make_wprintf_args(42, L"something");
+  fmt::basic_format_args<fmt::wprintf_context> args2(as2);
+  EXPECT_EQ(
+      L"[42] something happened", fmt::vsprintf(L"[%d] %s happened", args2));
+  // the older gcc versions can't cast the return value
+#if !defined(__GNUC__) || (__GNUC__ > 4)
+  EXPECT_EQ(
+      L"[42] something happened",
+      fmt::vsprintf(
+          L"[%d] %s happened", fmt::make_wprintf_args(42, L"something")));
+#endif
+}