diff --git a/python/damask/_config.py b/python/damask/_config.py
index 2f5904cc6..5f7453b11 100644
--- a/python/damask/_config.py
+++ b/python/damask/_config.py
@@ -2,25 +2,34 @@ import copy
 from io import StringIO
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 import abc
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Union, Dict, Any, Type, TypeVar
 
 import numpy as np
 import yaml
 
+from ._typehints import FileHandle
 from . import Rotation
 
+MyType = TypeVar('MyType', bound='Config')
+
 class NiceDumper(yaml.SafeDumper):
     """Make YAML readable for humans."""
 
-    def write_line_break(self, data=None):
+    def write_line_break(self,
+                         data: str = None):
         super().write_line_break(data)
 
         if len(self.indents) == 1:
             super().write_line_break()
 
-    def increase_indent(self, flow=False, indentless=False):
+    def increase_indent(self,
+                        flow: bool = False,
+                        indentless: bool = False):
         return super().increase_indent(flow, False)
 
-    def represent_data(self, data):
+    def represent_data(self,
+                       data: Any):
         """Cast Config objects and its subclasses to dict."""
         if isinstance(data, dict) and type(data) != dict:
             return self.represent_data(dict(data))
@@ -31,14 +40,17 @@ class NiceDumper(yaml.SafeDumper):
         else:
             return super().represent_data(data)
 
-    def ignore_aliases(self, data):
+    def ignore_aliases(self,
+                       data: Any) -> bool:
         """Do not use references to existing objects."""
         return True
 
 class Config(dict):
     """YAML-based configuration."""
 
-    def __init__(self,yml=None,**kwargs):
+    def __init__(self,
+                 yml: Union[str, Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+                 **kwargs):
         """Initialize from YAML, dict, or key=value pairs."""
         if isinstance(yml,str):
             kwargs.update(yaml.safe_load(yml))
@@ -47,7 +59,7 @@ class Config(dict):
 
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
 
-    def __repr__(self):
+    def __repr__(self) -> str:
         """Show as in file."""
         output = StringIO()
         self.save(output)
@@ -55,14 +67,15 @@ class Config(dict):
         return ''.join(output.readlines())
 
 
-    def __copy__(self):
+    def __copy__(self: MyType) -> MyType:
         """Create deep copy."""
         return copy.deepcopy(self)
 
     copy = __copy__
 
 
-    def __or__(self,other):
+    def __or__(self: MyType,
+               other) -> MyType:
         """
         Update configuration with contents of other.
 
@@ -76,18 +89,24 @@ class Config(dict):
         updated : damask.Config
             Updated configuration.
 
+        Note
+        ----
+        This functionality is a backport for Python 3.8
+
         """
         duplicate = self.copy()
         duplicate.update(other)
         return duplicate
 
 
-    def __ior__(self,other):
+    def __ior__(self: MyType,
+                other) -> MyType:
         """Update configuration with contents of other."""
         return self.__or__(other)
 
 
-    def delete(self,keys):
+    def delete(self: MyType,
+               keys: Union[Iterable, str]) -> MyType:
         """
         Remove configuration keys.
 
@@ -109,7 +128,8 @@ class Config(dict):
 
 
     @classmethod
-    def load(cls,fname):
+    def load(cls: Type[MyType],
+             fname: FileHandle) -> MyType:
         """
         Load from yaml file.
 
@@ -124,14 +144,15 @@ class Config(dict):
             Configuration from file.
 
         """
-        try:
+        if isinstance(fname, (str, Path)):
             fhandle = open(fname)
-        except TypeError:
+        else:
             fhandle = fname
         return cls(yaml.safe_load(fhandle))
 
-
-    def save(self,fname,**kwargs):
+    def save(self,
+             fname: FileHandle,
+             **kwargs):
         """
         Save to yaml file.
 
@@ -143,9 +164,9 @@ class Config(dict):
             Keyword arguments parsed to yaml.dump.
 
         """
-        try:
+        if isinstance(fname, (str, Path)):
             fhandle = open(fname,'w',newline='\n')
-        except TypeError:
+        else:
             fhandle = fname
 
         if 'width' not in kwargs:
diff --git a/python/damask/_configmaterial.py b/python/damask/_configmaterial.py
index 1b4d4439c..01d85f6a4 100644
--- a/python/damask/_configmaterial.py
+++ b/python/damask/_configmaterial.py
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 import numpy as np
 import h5py
+from typing import Sequence, Dict, Any, Collection
 
+from ._typehints import FileHandle
 from . import Config
 from . import Rotation
 from . import Orientation
 from . import util
+from . import Table
+
 
 class ConfigMaterial(Config):
     """
@@ -17,7 +21,9 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
 
     """
 
-    def __init__(self,d=None,**kwargs):
+    def __init__(self,
+                 d: Dict[str, Any] = None,
+                 **kwargs):
         """
         New material configuration.
 
@@ -30,14 +36,17 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
             Initial content specified as pairs of key=value.
 
         """
+        default: Collection
         if d is None:
-            for section,default in {'material':[],'homogenization':{},'phase':{}}.items():
+            for section, default in {'material':[],'homogenization':{},'phase':{}}.items():
                 if section not in kwargs: kwargs.update({section:default})
 
         super().__init__(d,**kwargs)
 
 
-    def save(self,fname='material.yaml',**kwargs):
+    def save(self,
+             fname: FileHandle = 'material.yaml',
+             **kwargs):
         """
         Save to yaml file.
 
@@ -53,7 +62,8 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
 
 
     @classmethod
-    def load(cls,fname='material.yaml'):
+    def load(cls,
+             fname: FileHandle = 'material.yaml') -> 'ConfigMaterial':
         """
         Load from yaml file.
 
@@ -72,10 +82,14 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
 
 
     @staticmethod
-    def load_DREAM3D(fname,
-                     grain_data=None,cell_data=None,cell_ensemble_data='CellEnsembleData',
-                     phases='Phases',Euler_angles='EulerAngles',phase_names='PhaseName',
-                     base_group=None):
+    def load_DREAM3D(fname: str,
+                     grain_data: str = None,
+                     cell_data: str = None,
+                     cell_ensemble_data: str = 'CellEnsembleData',
+                     phases: str = 'Phases',
+                     Euler_angles: str = 'EulerAngles',
+                     phase_names: str = 'PhaseName',
+                     base_group: str = None) -> 'ConfigMaterial':
         """
         Load DREAM.3D (HDF5) file.
 
@@ -154,7 +168,8 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
 
 
     @staticmethod
-    def from_table(table,**kwargs):
+    def from_table(table: Table,
+                   **kwargs) -> 'ConfigMaterial':
         """
         Generate from an ASCII table.
 
@@ -207,7 +222,7 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
 
 
     @property
-    def is_complete(self):
+    def is_complete(self) -> bool:
         """
         Check for completeness.
 
@@ -267,12 +282,11 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
             if homogenization - set(self['homogenization']):
                 print(f'Homogenization(s) {homogenization-set(self["homogenization"])} missing')
                 ok = False
-
         return ok
 
 
     @property
-    def is_valid(self):
+    def is_valid(self) -> bool:
         """
         Check for valid content.
 
@@ -316,7 +330,10 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
         return ok
 
 
-    def material_rename_phase(self,mapping,ID=None,constituent=None):
+    def material_rename_phase(self,
+                              mapping: Dict[str, str],
+                              ID: Sequence[int] = None,
+                              constituent: Sequence[int] = None) -> 'ConfigMaterial':
         """
         Change phase name in material.
 
@@ -347,7 +364,9 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
         return dup
 
 
-    def material_rename_homogenization(self,mapping,ID=None):
+    def material_rename_homogenization(self,
+                                       mapping: Dict[str, str],
+                                       ID: Sequence[int] = None) -> 'ConfigMaterial':
         """
         Change homogenization name in material.
 
@@ -374,7 +393,8 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
         return dup
 
 
-    def material_add(self,**kwargs):
+    def material_add(self,
+                     **kwargs: Any) -> 'ConfigMaterial':
         """
         Add material entries.
 
@@ -453,7 +473,7 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
             N = max(N,s[0]) if len(s)>0 else N
             n = max(n,s[1]) if len(s)>1 else n
 
-        mat = [{'constituents':[{} for _ in range(n)]} for _ in range(N)]
+        mat: Sequence[dict] = [{'constituents':[{} for _ in range(n)]} for _ in range(N)]
 
         if 'v' not in kwargs:
             shaped['v'] = np.broadcast_to(1/n,(N,n))
@@ -461,7 +481,7 @@ class ConfigMaterial(Config):
         map_shape = {'O':(N,n,4),'F_i':(N,n,3,3)}
         for k,v in shaped.items():
             target = map_shape.get(k,(N,n))
-            obj = np.broadcast_to(v.reshape(util.shapeshifter(v.shape,target,mode='right')),target)
+            obj = np.broadcast_to(v.reshape(util.shapeshifter(v.shape, target, mode = 'right')), target)
             for i in range(N):
                 if k in ['phase','O','v','F_i']:
                     for j in range(n):
diff --git a/python/damask/util.py b/python/damask/util.py
index 0bbc1e7b5..b4c287884 100644
--- a/python/damask/util.py
+++ b/python/damask/util.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import re
 import fractions
 from collections import abc
 from functools import reduce
-from typing import Union, Tuple, Iterable, Callable, Dict, List, Any, Literal, Optional
+from typing import Union, Tuple, Iterable, Callable, Dict, List, Any, Literal, SupportsIndex, Sequence
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import numpy as np
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ def hybrid_IA(dist: np.ndarray,
 def shapeshifter(fro: Tuple[int, ...],
                  to: Tuple[int, ...],
                  mode: Literal['left','right'] = 'left',
-                 keep_ones: bool = False) -> Tuple[Optional[int], ...]:
+                 keep_ones: bool = False) -> Sequence[SupportsIndex]:
     """
     Return dimensions that reshape 'fro' to become broadcastable to 'to'.
 
@@ -483,14 +483,14 @@ def shapeshifter(fro: Tuple[int, ...],
         grp = match.groups()
     except AssertionError:
         raise ValueError(f'Shapes can not be shifted {fro} --> {to}')
-    fill: Tuple[Optional[int], ...] = ()
+    fill: Any = ()
     for g,d in zip(grp,fro+(None,)):
         fill += (1,)*g.count(',')+(d,)
     return fill[:-1]
 
 
 def shapeblender(a: Tuple[int, ...],
-                 b: Tuple[int, ...]) -> Tuple[int, ...]:
+                 b: Tuple[int, ...]) -> Sequence[SupportsIndex]:
     """
     Return a shape that overlaps the rightmost entries of 'a' with the leftmost of 'b'.