diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0c2f216..31c5db7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ TEMP_PATH:=$(shell echo ~/work/lipase/tmp)
 TESTS_OUTPUT_DATA_PATH:=$(TEMP_PATH)
 LIB_SRC_FILES=$(shell find ./src/lipase -name "*.py")
 PLUGINS_SRC_FILES=$(shell find ./src/ij-plugins -name "*.py")
-LIPASE_VERSION=1.05
+LIPASE_VERSION=1.06
 
 BUILD_ROOT_PATH:=$(TEMP_PATH)/build
 PACKAGE_FILE_PATH=$(BUILD_ROOT_PATH)/lipase-$(LIPASE_VERSION).zip
diff --git a/src/ij-plugins/Ipr/Lipase/Define_Raw_Images_Root.py b/src/ij-plugins/Ipr/Lipase/Define_Raw_Images_Root.py
index f6322d6..fdf88c1 100644
--- a/src/ij-plugins/Ipr/Lipase/Define_Raw_Images_Root.py
+++ b/src/ij-plugins/Ipr/Lipase/Define_Raw_Images_Root.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from lipase.settings import UserSettings
 
 def run_script():
     settings = UserSettings()
-    settings.raw_images_root_path = str(RAW_IMAGES_ROOT_PATH)
+    settings.raw_images_root_path = unicode(RAW_IMAGES_ROOT_PATH)
     settings.save()
     # global INFO
     # INFO = "the root directory containing raw images (%s) has been stored in your settings file %s" % (str(RAW_IMAGES_ROOT_PATH), settings.get_settings_file_path())
diff --git a/src/lipase/settings.py b/src/lipase/settings.py
index 841335c..a964a02 100644
--- a/src/lipase/settings.py
+++ b/src/lipase/settings.py
@@ -3,26 +3,27 @@ import json
 #from os.path import expanduser
 #import os.path
 import os
+from . import logger
 
 
 class UserSettings(object):
     """User settings."""
 
-    attributes = {'raw_images_root_path': {'type': str}}
+    attributes = {'raw_images_root_path': {'type': unicode}}
 
     def __init__(self):
         """constructor."""
         self.settings = {}  # json dictionary
-        self.raw_images_root_path = 'bla'
+        self.raw_images_root_path = u'bla'
         try:
             with open(self.get_settings_file_path(), 'r') as json_file:
                 self.settings = json.load(json_file)
         except IOError as error:
-            print('Failed to read %s : %s' % (self.get_settings_file_path(), error))
+            logger.error('Failed to read %s : %s' % (self.get_settings_file_path(), error))
 
     def __getattr__(self, attr):
         """Override __getattr__ to check the validity of settings attributes names."""
-        print('getting %s' % (attr,))
+        logger.debug('getting %s' % (attr,))
         if attr == 'settings':
             return self.__dict__['settings']
         else:
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ class UserSettings(object):
 
     def __setattr__(self, attr, value):
         """Override __setattr__ to check the validity of settings attributes names."""
-        print('setting %s to %s' % (attr, value))
+        logger.debug('setting %s to %s' % (attr, value))
         if attr == 'settings':
             self.__dict__['settings'] = value
         else: