diff --git a/gallery_dl/output.py b/gallery_dl/output.py
index cb0c988d..3f6b24ad 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/output.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/output.py
@@ -14,10 +14,7 @@ import platform
 def select():
     """Automatically select a suitable printer class"""
     if hasattr(sys.stdout, "isatty") and sys.stdout.isatty():
-        if _color_supported():
-            return ColorPrinter
-        else:
-            return TerminalPrinter
+        return ColorPrinter if ANSI else TerminalPrinter
     else:
         return Printer
 
@@ -32,7 +29,7 @@ class Printer():
     @staticmethod
     def skip(path):
         """Print a message indicating that a download has been skipped"""
-        print("#", path, sep="", flush=True)
+        print(CHAR_SKIP, path, sep="", flush=True)
 
     @staticmethod
     def success(path, tries):
@@ -50,26 +47,28 @@ class TerminalPrinter():
     @staticmethod
     def start(path):
         """Print a message indicating the start of a download"""
-        print(_shorten(" "+path), end="", flush=True)
+        _safeprint(_shorten(" " + path), end="", flush=True)
 
     @staticmethod
     def skip(path):
         """Print a message indicating that a download has been skipped"""
-        print(_shorten("#"+path))
+        _safeprint(_shorten(CHAR_SKIP + path))
 
     @staticmethod
     def success(path, tries):
         """Print a message indicating the completion of a download"""
-        if tries == 0:
-            print("\r", end="")
-        print("\r", _shorten("✔" + path), sep="")
+        print("\r", end="")
+        _safeprint(_shorten(CHAR_SUCCESS + path))
 
     @staticmethod
     def error(file, error, tries, max_tries):
         """Print a message indicating an error during download"""
         if tries <= 1 and hasattr(file, "name"):
-            print("\r", _shorten("❌" + file.name), sep="")
-        print("[Error] ", error, " (", tries, "/", max_tries, ")", sep="")
+            print("\r", end="")
+            _safeprint(_shorten(CHAR_ERROR + file.name))
+        print("[Error] ", end="")
+        _safeprint(error, end="")
+        print(" (", tries, "/", max_tries, ")", sep="")
 
 
 class ColorPrinter():
@@ -101,14 +100,32 @@ class ColorPrinter():
 
 def _shorten(txt):
     """Reduce the length of 'txt' to the width of the terminal"""
-    width = shutil.get_terminal_size().columns
+    width = shutil.get_terminal_size().columns - OFFSET
     if len(txt) > width:
-        hwidth = width // 2
-        return "".join((txt[:hwidth-1], "…", txt[-hwidth-(width%2):]))
+        hwidth = width // 2 - OFFSET
+        return "".join((txt[:hwidth-1], CHAR_ELLIPSIES, txt[-hwidth-(width%2):]))
     return txt
 
-def _color_supported():
-    """Return True if a terminal supports colors"""
-    if platform.system() == "Windows":
-        return os.environ.get("TERM") == "ANSI"
-    return True
+def _safeprint(txt, **kwargs):
+    """Handle unicode errors and replace invalid characters"""
+    try:
+        print(txt, **kwargs)
+    except UnicodeEncodeError:
+        enc = sys.stdout.encoding
+        txt = txt.encode(enc, errors="replace").decode(enc)
+        print(txt, **kwargs)
+
+if platform.system() == "Windows":
+    ANSI = os.environ.get("TERM") == "ANSI"
+    OFFSET = 1
+    CHAR_SKIP = "#"
+    CHAR_ERROR = "!"
+    CHAR_SUCCESS = "*"
+    CHAR_ELLIPSIES = "..."
+else:
+    ANSI = True
+    OFFSET = 0
+    CHAR_SKIP = "#"
+    CHAR_ERROR = "❌"
+    CHAR_SUCCESS = "✔"
+    CHAR_ELLIPSIES = "…"