diff --git a/src/item/Group.js b/src/item/Group.js
index 44559140..81b85858 100644
--- a/src/item/Group.js
+++ b/src/item/Group.js
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ var Group = this.Group = Item.extend(/** @lends Group# */{
 		// Allow Group to have children and named children
 		this._children = [];
 		this._namedChildren = {};
-		if (!this.setProperties(arg))
+		if (!this._setProperties(arg))
 			this.addChildren(Array.isArray(arg) ? arg : arguments);
 	},
 
diff --git a/src/item/Item.js b/src/item/Item.js
index 7cbe2560..7854aba5 100644
--- a/src/item/Item.js
+++ b/src/item/Item.js
@@ -112,18 +112,27 @@ var Item = this.Item = Base.extend(Callback, /** @lends Item# */{
 		);
 	},
 
-	// #setProperties is part of the mechanism for Item constructors which take
+	// #_setProperties is part of the mechanism for Item constructors which take
 	// one object literal describing all the properties to be set on the created
 	// instance.
-	setProperties: function(props) {
+	_setProperties: function(props) {
 		if (Base.isObject(props)) {
-			for (var key in props)
-				if (props.hasOwnProperty(key))
-					this[key] = props[key];
+			this.set(props);
 			return true;
 		}
 	},
 
+	/**
+	 * Sets all the properties of the passed object literal to their values on
+	 * the item it is called on, and returns the item itself.
+	 */
+	set: function(props) {
+		for (var key in props)
+			if (props.hasOwnProperty(key))
+				this[key] = props[key];
+		return this;
+	},
+
 	/**
 	 * Private notifier that is called whenever a change occurs in this item or
 	 * its sub-elements, such as Segments, Curves, PathStyles, etc.
diff --git a/src/item/PlacedSymbol.js b/src/item/PlacedSymbol.js
index a6086a6a..b3b6ef6e 100644
--- a/src/item/PlacedSymbol.js
+++ b/src/item/PlacedSymbol.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ var PlacedSymbol = this.PlacedSymbol = PlacedItem.extend(/** @lends PlacedSymbol
 		this.base(arg1 !== undefined && Point.read(arguments, 1));
 		// If we can handle setting properties through object literal, we're all
 		// set. Otherwise we need to set symbol.
-		if (!this.setProperties(arg0))
+		if (!this._setProperties(arg0))
 			this.setSymbol(arg0 instanceof Symbol ? arg0 : new Symbol(arg0));
 	},
 
diff --git a/src/item/Raster.js b/src/item/Raster.js
index b366c57c..882be52d 100644
--- a/src/item/Raster.js
+++ b/src/item/Raster.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ var Raster = this.Raster = PlacedItem.extend(/** @lends Raster# */{
 		this.base(arg1 !== undefined && Point.read(arguments, 1));
 		// If we can handle setting properties through object literal, we're all
 		// set. Otherwise we need to check the type of arg0:
-		if (!this.setProperties(arg0)) {
+		if (!this._setProperties(arg0)) {
 			if (arg0.getContext) {
 				this.setCanvas(arg0);
 			} else if (typeof arg0 === 'string') {
diff --git a/src/path/Path.js b/src/path/Path.js
index 1198d350..70ca682e 100644
--- a/src/path/Path.js
+++ b/src/path/Path.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ var Path = this.Path = PathItem.extend(/** @lends Path# */{
 		// If it is an array, it can also be a description of a point, so
 		// check its first entry for object as well.
 		// But first see if segments are directly passed at all. If not, try
-		// #setProperties(arg).
+		// _setProperties(arg).
 		var segments = Array.isArray(arg)
 			? typeof arg[0] === 'object'
 				? arg
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ var Path = this.Path = PathItem.extend(/** @lends Path# */{
 				: null;
 		this.setSegments(segments || []);
 		if (!segments)
-			this.setProperties(arg);
+			this._setProperties(arg);
 	},
 
 	clone: function() {
diff --git a/src/text/TextItem.js b/src/text/TextItem.js
index 04136386..30428a81 100644
--- a/src/text/TextItem.js
+++ b/src/text/TextItem.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ var TextItem = this.TextItem = Item.extend(/** @lends TextItem# */{
 		this._content = '';
 		this._lines = [];
 		if (!point)
-			this.setProperties(arg);
+			this._setProperties(arg);
 	},
 
 	/**