diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 2df45747..cd273591 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 xarray >= 0.12.2
 dask[array] >= 1.0.0
 natsort >= 5.5.0
-matplotlib >= 2.2
+matplotlib >= 3.0.3
 animatplot >= 0.3
 netcdf4 >= 1.4.0
+Pillow >= 6.1.0
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index a9925e1f..a805e44a 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@
         'xarray>=v0.10.0',
         'dask[array]>=1.0.0',
         'natsort>=5.5.0',
-        'matplotlib>=2.2',
-        'animatplot>=0.3'
+        'matplotlib>=3.0.3',
+        'animatplot>=0.3',
+        'Pillow>=6.1.0'
     ],
     extras_require={
         'tests': ['pytest >= 3.3.0'],
diff --git a/xbout/plotting/animate.py b/xbout/plotting/animate.py
index 64731215..5124bbf9 100644
--- a/xbout/plotting/animate.py
+++ b/xbout/plotting/animate.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 import animatplot as amp
 
 from .utils import plot_separatrix
-
+from matplotlib.animation import PillowWriter
 
 def animate_imshow(data, animate_over='t', x='x', y='y', animate=True,
                    vmin=None, vmax=None, fps=10, save_as=None,
@@ -93,9 +93,7 @@ def animate_imshow(data, animate_over='t', x='x', y='y', animate=True,
 
         if not save_as:
             save_as = "{}_over_{}".format(variable, animate_over)
-        # TODO save using PillowWriter instead once matplotlib 3.1 comes out
-        # see https://github.com/t-makaro/animatplot/issues/24
-        anim.save(save_as + '.gif', writer='imagemagick')
+        anim.save(save_as + '.gif', writer=PillowWriter(fps=fps))
 
     return imshow_block
 
@@ -178,8 +176,6 @@ def animate_line(data, animate_over='t', animate=True,
 
         if not save_as:
             save_as = "{}_over_{}".format(variable, animate_over)
-        # TODO save using PillowWriter instead once matplotlib 3.1 comes out
-        # see https://github.com/t-makaro/animatplot/issues/24
-        anim.save(save_as + '.gif', writer='imagemagick')
+        anim.save(save_as + '.gif', writer=PillowWriter(fps=fps))
 
     return line_block
diff --git a/xbout/tests/test_animate.py b/xbout/tests/test_animate.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..45ffbca6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xbout/tests/test_animate.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import pytest
+
+from xbout import open_boutdataset
+from xbout.boutdataarray import BoutDataArrayAccessor
+
+from animatplot.blocks import Imshow, Line
+
+# Path to test dmp files
+DATA_PATH = './xbout/tests/data/dump_files/along_x/BOUT.dmp.*.nc'
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def create_test_file(tmpdir_factory):
+
+    # Create temp dir for output of animate1D/2D
+    save_dir = tmpdir_factory.mktemp("test_data")
+    ds = open_boutdataset(DATA_PATH).squeeze(drop=True)  # Open test data
+
+    return save_dir, ds
+
+
+class TestAnimate:
+    """
+    Set of tests to check whether animate1D() and animate2D() are running properly
+    and PillowWriter is saving each animation correctly
+    """
+    def test_animate2D(self, create_test_file):
+
+        save_dir, ds = create_test_file
+        animation = ds['T'].bout.animate2D(y='z', save_as="%s/test" % save_dir)
+
+        assert isinstance(animation, Imshow)
+
+    def test_animate1D(self, create_test_file):
+
+        save_dir, ds = create_test_file
+        animation = ds['T'][:, :, 0].bout.animate1D(save_as="%s/test" % save_dir)
+
+        assert isinstance(animation, Line)