diff --git a/src/error.h b/src/error.h
index a8ab993..1a3464a 100644
--- a/src/error.h
+++ b/src/error.h
@@ -1,69 +1,17 @@
 // Copyright (c) 2025 Quinn
 // Licensed under the MIT Licence. See LICENSE for details
 #pragma once
-#include <stdarg.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 
-#include "util/atrb.h"
+#define ERROR_STR_PRE(v) #v
+#define ERROR_STR(v)     ERROR_STR_PRE(v)
 
-#define ERROR_BUF_SIZE 128
+#define debug(s, ...)    printf("\033[95m" __FILE__ ":" ERROR_STR(__LINE__) ": [DBG]: " s "\033[0m\n", ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define info(s, ...)     printf(__FILE__ ":" ERROR_STR(__LINE__) ": [INF]: " s "\n", ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define warn(s, ...)     fprintf(stderr, "\033[93m" __FILE__ ":" ERROR_STR(__LINE__) ": [WAR]: " s "\033[0m\n", ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define error(s, ...)    fprintf(stderr, "\033[91m" __FILE__ ":" ERROR_STR(__LINE__) ": [ERR]: " s "\033[0m\n", ##__VA_ARGS__)
 
-atrb_nonnull(1) atrb_format(printf, 1, 2) static inline void debug(char const*, ...);
-atrb_nonnull(1) atrb_format(printf, 1, 2) static inline void info(char const*, ...);
-atrb_nonnull(1) atrb_format(printf, 1, 2) static inline void warn(char const*, ...);
-atrb_nonnull(1) atrb_format(printf, 1, 2) static inline void error(char const*, ...);
-atrb_nonnull(1) atrb_format(printf, 1, 2) atrb_noreturn static inline void fatal(char const*, ...);
-atrb_nonnull(2) static inline void error_callback(int err, char const* const msg);
-
-// macro to write fmt vardiac args to buf
-#define WRITE_VA_ARGS(buf, fmt)                    \
-	{                                              \
-		va_list args;                              \
-		va_start(args, fmt);                       \
-		vsnprintf(buf, ERROR_BUF_SIZE, fmt, args); \
-		va_end(args);                              \
-	};
-
-// prints a '\n' suffixed debug msg to stdout with a maximum buf size of @ref ERROR_BUF_SIZE
-void debug(char const* restrict fmt, ...) {
-	char buf[ERROR_BUF_SIZE] = {0};
-	WRITE_VA_ARGS(buf, fmt);
-	printf("\033[95mD: \"%s\"\033[0m\n", buf); // reduced parameter use by not using fprintf
-}
-
-// prints a '\n' suffixed info msg to stdout with a maximum buf size of @ref ERROR_BUF_SIZE
-void info(char const* fmt, ...) {
-	char buf[ERROR_BUF_SIZE] = {0};
-	WRITE_VA_ARGS(buf, fmt);
-	printf("I: \"%s\"\n", buf);
-}
-
-// prints a '\n' suffixed warn msg to stderr with a maximum buf size of @ref ERROR_BUF_SIZE
-void warn(char const* fmt, ...) {
-	char buf[ERROR_BUF_SIZE] = {0};
-	WRITE_VA_ARGS(buf, fmt);
-	fprintf(stderr, "\033[93mW: \"%s\"\033[0m\n", buf);
-}
-
-// prints a '\n' suffixed error msg to stderr with a maximum buf size of @ref ERROR_BUF_SIZE
-void error(char const* fmt, ...) {
-	char buf[ERROR_BUF_SIZE] = {0};
-	WRITE_VA_ARGS(buf, fmt);
-	fprintf(stderr, "\033[91mE: \"%s\"\033[0m\n", buf);
-}
-
-// prints a '\n' suffixed fatal msg to stderr with a maximum buf size of @ref ERROR_BUF_SIZE and immediately aborts execution
-void fatal(char const* fmt, ...) {
-	char buf[ERROR_BUF_SIZE] = {0};
-	WRITE_VA_ARGS(buf, fmt);
-	fprintf(stderr, "\033[101mF: \"%s\"\033[0m\n", buf);
-	abort();
-}
-
-// callback for GLFW errors
-void error_callback(int err, char const* const msg) {
-	fprintf(stderr, "\033[91mE: glfw returned (%i); \"%s\"\033[0m\n", err, msg);
-}
-
-#undef WRITE_VA_ARGS
+#define fatal(s, ...)                                                                              \
+	do {                                                                                           \
+		printf("\033[101m" __FILE__ ":" ERROR_STR(__LINE__) ": [FAT]: " s "\033[0m\n", ##__VA_ARGS__); \
+		abort();                                                                                   \
+	} while (0)
diff --git a/src/io/render.c b/src/io/render.c
index edfab46..c6f4d2a 100644
--- a/src/io/render.c
+++ b/src/io/render.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include <GLFW/glfw3.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include "../error.h"
diff --git a/src/io/shader.c b/src/io/shader.c
index 6b44c08..e0ce01b 100644
--- a/src/io/shader.c
+++ b/src/io/shader.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 
 #include "../error.h"
 
diff --git a/src/io/window.c b/src/io/window.c
index 7c98741..e37aaca 100644
--- a/src/io/window.c
+++ b/src/io/window.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include <GLFW/glfw3.h>
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include "../error.h"
@@ -46,11 +47,16 @@ int window_init(void) {
 	glfwSetKeyCallback(win, key_callback);
 
 	// print the OpenGL version information
-	debug("version info:");
-	debug("\tvendor:       %s", glGetString(GL_VENDOR));
-	debug("\trenderer:     %s", glGetString(GL_RENDERER));
-	debug("\tversion:      %s", glGetString(GL_VERSION));
-	debug("\tshading lang: %s", glGetString(GL_SHADING_LANGUAGE_VERSION));
+	debug(
+		"version info:\n"
+		"\tvendor:       %s\n"
+		"\trenderer:     %s\n"
+		"\tversion:      %s\n"
+		"\tshading lang: %s\n",
+		glGetString(GL_VENDOR),
+		glGetString(GL_RENDERER),
+		glGetString(GL_VERSION),
+		glGetString(GL_SHADING_LANGUAGE_VERSION));
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 62da5aa..143eab7 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #undef GLAD_GL_IMPLEMENTATION
 
 #include <GLFW/glfw3.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include "error.h"
@@ -15,6 +16,11 @@
 #define WIN_DEFAULT_WIDTH  640
 #define WIN_DEFAULT_HEIGHT 480
 
+// callback for GLFW errors
+static void error_callback(int err, char const* const msg) {
+	fprintf(stderr, "\033[91mE: glfw returned (%i); \"%s\"\033[0m\n", err, msg);
+}
+
 static inline int init(void) {
 	glfwSetErrorCallback(error_callback);
 	glfwInitHint(GLFW_JOYSTICK_HAT_BUTTONS, GLFW_FALSE); // disable joystick buttons
@@ -31,7 +37,7 @@ static inline void quit(void) {
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 	(void)argc, (void)argv;
-
+	printf("debug: [DBG], info: [INF], warning: [WAR], error: [ERR], fatal: [FAT]\n");
 	if (init()) fatal("failed to initialize!");
 
 	window_loop();