diff --git a/test/test_raise_arbitrary_error.py b/test/test_raise_arbitrary_error.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cbcae19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_raise_arbitrary_error.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+"""test the raising of errors with the error module
+
+:author: `Patrick Kanzler <patrick.kanzler@fablab.fau.de>`_
+:organization: `python-escpos <https://github.com/python-escpos>`_
+:copyright: Copyright (c) 2017 `python-escpos <https://github.com/python-escpos>`_
+:license: MIT
+"""
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+from __future__ import division
+from __future__ import print_function
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+import escpos
+
+
+def test_raise_error():
+    """raise error
+
+    should reproduce https://github.com/python-escpos/python-escpos/issues/257
+    """
+    raise escpos.Error("This is a test.")