diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index de7cfc8421..964cabb375 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ Suggests:
     sf,
     maptools,
     rgeos,
-    RSelenium,
     png,
-    IRdisplay
+    IRdisplay,
+    processx
 Remotes:
   tidyverse/ggplot2
 LazyData: true
diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 5bebe64d20..c6b0f07969 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ export(layout)
 export(mutate)
 export(mutate_)
 export(offline)
+export(orca)
 export(partial_bundle)
 export(plot_dendro)
 export(plot_geo)
diff --git a/R/export.R b/R/export.R
index 213b44d161..91f18d0bbf 100644
--- a/R/export.R
+++ b/R/export.R
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #' Export a plotly graph to a static file
 #' 
+#' This function is in the process of being deprecated (use [orca] instead).
+#' 
 #' @details For SVG plots, a screenshot is taken via `webshot::webshot()`.
 #' Since `phantomjs` (and hence `webshot`) does not support WebGL,
 #' the RSelenium package is used for exporting WebGL plots. 
@@ -9,43 +11,16 @@
 #' Valid extensions include 'jpeg' | 'png' | 'webp' | 'svg' | 'pdf'
 #' @param selenium used only when `p` is a WebGL plot or the output 
 #' format is 'webp' or 'svg'. Should be an object of class "rsClientServer"
-#' returned by `RSelenium::rsDriver` (see examples).
+#' returned by `RSelenium::rsDriver`.
 #' @param ... if `p` is non-WebGL and the output file format is 
 #' jpeg/png/pdf arguments are passed along to `webshot::webshot()`.
 #' Otherwise, they are ignored.
 #' @export
 #' @author Carson Sievert
-#' @examples 
-#' # The webshot package handles non-WebGL conversion to jpeg/png/pdf
-#' \dontrun{
-#' export(plot_ly(economics, x = ~date, y = ~pce))
-#' export(plot_ly(economics, x = ~date, y = ~pce), "plot.pdf")
-#' 
-#' # svg/webp output or WebGL conversion can be done via RSelenium
-#' if (requireNamespace("RSelenium")) {
-#'  rD <- RSelenium::rsDriver(browser = "chrome")
-#'  export(
-#'    plot_ly(economics, x = ~date, y = ~pce), "plot.svg", rD
-#'  )
-#'  export(
-#'    plot_ly(economics, x = ~date, y = ~pce, z = ~pop), "yay.svg", rD
-#'  )
-#' }
-#' 
-#' # If you can't get a selenium server running, another option is to
-#' # use Plotly.downloadImage() via htmlwidgets::onRender()...
-#' # Downloading images won't work inside RStudio, but you can set the viewer
-#' # option to NULL to prompt your default web browser
-#' options(viewer = NULL)
-#' plot_ly(economics, x = ~date, y = ~pce, z = ~pop) %>%
-#'   htmlwidgets::onRender(
-#'    "function(el, x) {
-#'      var gd = document.getElementById(el.id); 
-#'      Plotly.downloadImage(gd, {format: 'png', width: 600, height: 400, filename: 'plot'});
-#'    }"
-#'  )
-#'}
+#'
 export <- function(p = last_plot(), file = "plotly.png", selenium = NULL, ...) {
+  .Deprecated("orca")
+  
   # infer the file type
   fileType <- tolower(tools::file_ext(file))
   if (!fileType %in% c('jpeg', 'png', 'webp', 'svg', 'pdf')) {
diff --git a/R/orca.R b/R/orca.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..104e6aa60c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/R/orca.R
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+#' Static image export via orca
+#' 
+#' The function makes a system call to the orca command-line utility, 
+#' see the installation instructions [here](https://github.com/plotly/orca#installation)
+#' 
+#' @param p a plotly object.
+#' @param file output filename.
+#' @param format the output format (png, jpeg, webp, svg, pdf, eps).
+#' @param scale Sets the image scale. Applies to all output images.
+#' @param width Sets the image width. If not set, defaults to `layout.width` value. 
+#' Applies to all output images.
+#' @param height Sets the image height. If not set, defaults to `layout.height` value. 
+#' Applies to all output images.
+#' @param mathjax whether or not to specify a path to mathjax (required to export LaTeX characters).
+#' This should 'just work' in RStudio, but outside RStudio, you may have to set 
+#' the PLOTLY_MATHJAX_PATH environment variable to the location of MathJax.
+#' @param parallel_limit Sets the limit of parallel tasks run.
+#' @param verbose Turn on verbose logging on stdout.
+#' @param debug Starts app in debug mode and turn on verbose logs on stdout.
+#' @param safe Turns on safe mode: where figures likely to make browser window 
+#' hang during image generating are skipped.
+#' @export
+#' @author Carson Sievert
+#' @examples
+#' 
+#' \dontrun{
+#' p <- plot_ly(z = ~volcano) %>% add_surface()
+#' orca(p, "surface-plot.png")
+#' orca(p, "surface-plot.svg")
+#' orca(p, "surface-plot.pdf")
+#' }
+#' 
+
+orca <- function(p, file = "plot.png", format = tools::file_ext(file), 
+                 scale = NULL, width = NULL, height = NULL, mathjax = FALSE,
+                 parallel_limit = NULL, verbose = FALSE, debug = FALSE, 
+                 safe = FALSE) {
+  
+  if (Sys.which("orca") == "") {
+    stop(
+      "The orca command-line utility is required to use the `orca()` function.\n\n",
+      "Follow the installation instructions here -- https://github.com/plotly/orca#installation",
+      call. = FALSE
+    )
+  }
+  
+  b <- plotly_build(p)
+  
+  # find the relevant plotly.js bundle
+  plotlyjs <- plotlyjsBundle(b)
+  plotlyjs_file <- file.path(plotlyjs$src$file, plotlyjs$script)
+  
+  args <- c(
+    "graph", to_JSON(b$x[c("data", "layout")]), 
+    "-o", file,
+    "--format", format,
+    "--plotlyjs", plotlyjs_file,
+    if (debug) "--debug",
+    if (verbose) "--verbose",
+    if (safe) "--safe-mode"
+  )
+  
+  if (!is.null(scale)) args <- c(args, "--scale", scale)
+  if (!is.null(width)) args <- c(args, "--width", width)
+  if (!is.null(height)) args <- c(args, "--height", height)
+  if (!is.null(parallel_limit)) args <- c(args, "--parallel-limit", parallel_limit)
+  if (!is.na(mapbox_token())) args <- c(args, "--mapbox-access-token", mapbox_token())
+  if (isTRUE(mathjax)) args <- c(args, "--mathjax", mathjax_path())
+     
+  # TODO: point to local topojson? Should this only work if plot_geo(standalone = TRUE)?
+  try_library("processx", "orca")
+  invisible(processx::run("orca", args, echo = TRUE, spinner = TRUE))
+}
+
+
+mathjax_path <- function() {
+  if (is_rstudio()) {
+    try_library("rmarkdown", "orca")
+    return(getFromNamespace("pandoc_mathjax_local_path", "rmarkdown")())
+  }
+  path <- Sys.getenv("PLOTLY_MATHJAX_PATH", Sys.getenv("RMARKDOWN_MATHJAX_PATH", NA))
+  if (!is.na(path)) return(normalizePath(path, mustWork = TRUE))
+  stop(
+    "Please set either the RMARKDOWN_MATHJAX_PATH or PLOTLY_MATHJAX_PATH ",
+    "environment variable to the location of MathJax. ",
+    "On Linux systems you can also install MathJax using your system package manager.",
+    call. = FALSE
+  )
+}
diff --git a/man/export.Rd b/man/export.Rd
index 5962b3b8ca..b8fb536213 100644
--- a/man/export.Rd
+++ b/man/export.Rd
@@ -14,51 +14,20 @@ Valid extensions include 'jpeg' | 'png' | 'webp' | 'svg' | 'pdf'}
 
 \item{selenium}{used only when \code{p} is a WebGL plot or the output
 format is 'webp' or 'svg'. Should be an object of class "rsClientServer"
-returned by \code{RSelenium::rsDriver} (see examples).}
+returned by \code{RSelenium::rsDriver}.}
 
 \item{...}{if \code{p} is non-WebGL and the output file format is
 jpeg/png/pdf arguments are passed along to \code{webshot::webshot()}.
 Otherwise, they are ignored.}
 }
 \description{
-Export a plotly graph to a static file
+This function is in the process of being deprecated (use \link{orca} instead).
 }
 \details{
 For SVG plots, a screenshot is taken via \code{webshot::webshot()}.
 Since \code{phantomjs} (and hence \code{webshot}) does not support WebGL,
 the RSelenium package is used for exporting WebGL plots.
 }
-\examples{
-# The webshot package handles non-WebGL conversion to jpeg/png/pdf
-\dontrun{
-export(plot_ly(economics, x = ~date, y = ~pce))
-export(plot_ly(economics, x = ~date, y = ~pce), "plot.pdf")
-
-# svg/webp output or WebGL conversion can be done via RSelenium
-if (requireNamespace("RSelenium")) {
- rD <- RSelenium::rsDriver(browser = "chrome")
- export(
-   plot_ly(economics, x = ~date, y = ~pce), "plot.svg", rD
- )
- export(
-   plot_ly(economics, x = ~date, y = ~pce, z = ~pop), "yay.svg", rD
- )
-}
-
-# If you can't get a selenium server running, another option is to
-# use Plotly.downloadImage() via htmlwidgets::onRender()...
-# Downloading images won't work inside RStudio, but you can set the viewer
-# option to NULL to prompt your default web browser
-options(viewer = NULL)
-plot_ly(economics, x = ~date, y = ~pce, z = ~pop) \%>\%
-  htmlwidgets::onRender(
-   "function(el, x) {
-     var gd = document.getElementById(el.id); 
-     Plotly.downloadImage(gd, {format: 'png', width: 600, height: 400, filename: 'plot'});
-   }"
- )
-}
-}
 \author{
 Carson Sievert
 }
diff --git a/man/orca.Rd b/man/orca.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cd7db4948e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/orca.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/orca.R
+\name{orca}
+\alias{orca}
+\title{Static image export via orca}
+\usage{
+orca(p, file = "plot.png", format = tools::file_ext(file), scale = NULL,
+  width = NULL, height = NULL, mathjax = FALSE, parallel_limit = NULL,
+  verbose = FALSE, debug = FALSE, safe = FALSE)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{p}{a plotly object.}
+
+\item{file}{output filename.}
+
+\item{format}{the output format (png, jpeg, webp, svg, pdf, eps).}
+
+\item{scale}{Sets the image scale. Applies to all output images.}
+
+\item{width}{Sets the image width. If not set, defaults to \code{layout.width} value.
+Applies to all output images.}
+
+\item{height}{Sets the image height. If not set, defaults to \code{layout.height} value.
+Applies to all output images.}
+
+\item{mathjax}{whether or not to specify a path to mathjax (required to export LaTeX characters).
+This should 'just work' in RStudio, but outside RStudio, you may have to set
+the PLOTLY_MATHJAX_PATH environment variable to the location of MathJax.}
+
+\item{parallel_limit}{Sets the limit of parallel tasks run.}
+
+\item{verbose}{Turn on verbose logging on stdout.}
+
+\item{debug}{Starts app in debug mode and turn on verbose logs on stdout.}
+
+\item{safe}{Turns on safe mode: where figures likely to make browser window
+hang during image generating are skipped.}
+}
+\description{
+The function makes a system call to the orca command-line utility,
+see the installation instructions \href{https://github.com/plotly/orca#installation}{here}
+}
+\examples{
+
+\dontrun{
+p <- plot_ly(z = ~volcano) \%>\% add_surface()
+orca(p, "surface-plot.png")
+orca(p, "surface-plot.svg")
+orca(p, "surface-plot.pdf")
+}
+
+}
+\author{
+Carson Sievert
+}