diff --git a/lib/Subtitle/SSA.pm b/lib/Subtitle/SSA.pm
index 427b5e4..362d572 100644
--- a/lib/Subtitle/SSA.pm
+++ b/lib/Subtitle/SSA.pm
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ sub parse {
       }
       my $curr = $self->{fonts}->[-1]
         or next; # missing 'fontname' line?
-      $curr->parse_uue_line($line);
+      $curr->add_uue_line($line);
       next;
     }
     # TODO: graphics section
diff --git a/lib/Subtitle/SSA/File.pm b/lib/Subtitle/SSA/File.pm
index 7776a62..019fd88 100644
--- a/lib/Subtitle/SSA/File.pm
+++ b/lib/Subtitle/SSA/File.pm
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ sub new {
 
 sub size {
   my ($self) = @_;
-  return length $self->{data};
+  return _length_bytes($self->{data});
 }
 
 ## accessors / setters
@@ -67,51 +67,51 @@ sub name {
 
 ## import functions
 
-sub load {
-  my ($self, $path) = @_;
+sub from_binary {
+  my ($self, $bin) = @_;
 
-  open my $FH, '<', $path or
-    return $self->error("can't open file: $path -- $!");
-  local $/ = undef;
-  $self->{data} = <$FH>;
-  close $FH;
+  return unless defined $bin and length($bin) > 0;
+  $self->{data} = _encode_uue($bin);
 
   return 1;
 }
 
-sub parse_uue_line {
+sub add_uue_line {
   my ($self, $line) = @_;
-
-  # 1-char uue chunk with 6 significant bits can't hold 1 byte with 8 bits
-  return $self->error("bad uuencoded data (odd length)\n")
-    if length($line) % 4 == 1;
-
-  # decode uue to binary form
-  my $bytes = _decode_uue($line);
-  $self->{data} .= $bytes;
-
-  return length $bytes;
+  my $len = length($line);
+
+  if ($len == 80) {
+    # optimization
+    $self->{data} .= $line;
+    return 60;
+  } elsif ($len % 4 == 1) {
+    # 1-char uue chunk with 6 significant bits can't hold 1 byte with 8 bits
+    return $self->error("bad uuencoded data (odd length)\n");
+  } elsif ($len == 0) {
+    return 0;
+  } # else...
+
+  chomp $line;
+  $self->{data} .= $line;
+  return _length_bytes($line);
 }
 
 ## export functions
 
-sub binary {
-  my ($self, $bin) = @_;
-  if (defined $bin) {
-    $self->{data} = $bin;
-  }
-  return $self->{data};
+sub to_binary {
+  my ($self) = @_;
+  return _decode_uue($self->{data});
 }
 
-sub uue_line {
+sub uue_string {
   my ($self) = @_;
-  return _encode_uue($self->{data});
+  return $self->{data};
 }
 
 sub uue_block {
   my ($self) = @_;
 
-  my $uue = $self->uue_line;
+  my $uue = $self->uue_string;
   my $cap = ($self->{type} eq 'font') ? 'fontname' : 'filename';
   my $out = sprintf '%s: %s%s', $cap, $self->{name}, $self->{eol};
   while (my $line = substr($uue, 0, 80, '')) {
@@ -124,6 +124,14 @@ sub uue_block {
 
 ## private UUE functions
 
+sub _length_bytes {
+  my ($uue) = @_;
+  my $len = length $uue;
+  my $tail = $len % 4;
+  my $size = int($len / 4) * 3;
+  return $size + int(($tail * 6) / 8);
+}
+
 sub _decode_uue {
   my ($uue) = @_;
   my $bytes = '';
diff --git a/t/format-ssa-file.t b/t/format-ssa-file.t
index d4cf04c..cb665a4 100644
--- a/t/format-ssa-file.t
+++ b/t/format-ssa-file.t
@@ -17,15 +17,15 @@ sub random_data {
 
 my $file = Subtitle::SSA::File->new;
 is(ref $file, 'Subtitle::SSA::File');
-can_ok($file, qw(new error size type name parse_uue_line binary uue_line uue_block));
+can_ok($file, qw(new error size type name from_binary add_uue_line to_binary uue_string uue_block));
 undef $file;
 
 for (my $i = 0; $i < 15; $i++) {
   my $bin = random_data();
   $file = Subtitle::SSA::File->new;
-  $file->binary($bin);
+  $file->from_binary($bin);
   is($file->size => length $bin);
-  my $uue = $file->uue_line;
+  my $uue = $file->uue_string;
   isnt($uue, '');
   ok(length($uue) % 4 != 1);
   my $invalid = 0;