diff --git a/gtsam/nonlinear/nonlinear.i b/gtsam/nonlinear/nonlinear.i
index 055fbd75b..eedf421bc 100644
--- a/gtsam/nonlinear/nonlinear.i
+++ b/gtsam/nonlinear/nonlinear.i
@@ -98,11 +98,11 @@ class NonlinearFactorGraph {
   string dot(
       const gtsam::Values& values,
       const gtsam::KeyFormatter& keyFormatter = gtsam::DefaultKeyFormatter,
-      const GraphvizFormatting& writer = GraphvizFormatting());
+      const GraphvizFormatting& formatting = GraphvizFormatting());
   void saveGraph(
       const string& s, const gtsam::Values& values,
       const gtsam::KeyFormatter& keyFormatter = gtsam::DefaultKeyFormatter,
-      const GraphvizFormatting& writer = GraphvizFormatting()) const;
+      const GraphvizFormatting& formatting = GraphvizFormatting()) const;
 
   // enabling serialization functionality
   void serialize() const;
diff --git a/python/gtsam/tests/test_GraphvizFormatting.py b/python/gtsam/tests/test_GraphvizFormatting.py
index ecdc23b45..5962366ef 100644
--- a/python/gtsam/tests/test_GraphvizFormatting.py
+++ b/python/gtsam/tests/test_GraphvizFormatting.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class TestGraphvizFormatting(GtsamTestCase):
         graphviz_formatting.paperHorizontalAxis = gtsam.GraphvizFormatting.Axis.X
         graphviz_formatting.paperVerticalAxis = gtsam.GraphvizFormatting.Axis.Y
         self.assertEqual(self.graph.dot(self.values,
-                                        writer=graphviz_formatting),
+                                        formatting=graphviz_formatting),
                          textwrap.dedent(expected_result))
 
     def test_factor_points(self):
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class TestGraphvizFormatting(GtsamTestCase):
         graphviz_formatting.plotFactorPoints = False
 
         self.assertEqual(self.graph.dot(self.values,
-                                        writer=graphviz_formatting),
+                                        formatting=graphviz_formatting),
                          textwrap.dedent(expected_result))
 
     def test_width_height(self):
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ class TestGraphvizFormatting(GtsamTestCase):
         graphviz_formatting.figureHeightInches = 10
 
         self.assertEqual(self.graph.dot(self.values,
-                                        writer=graphviz_formatting),
+                                        formatting=graphviz_formatting),
                          textwrap.dedent(expected_result))