diff --git a/code/IO.f90 b/code/IO.f90
index 060fcf01f..894e81852 100644
--- a/code/IO.f90
+++ b/code/IO.f90
@@ -1267,8 +1267,8 @@ integer(pInt) function IO_countContinuousIntValues(fileUnit)
      line = IO_read(fileUnit, .true.)                                                               ! reset IO_read 
      exit
    elseif (IO_lc(IO_stringValue(line,chunkPos,2_pInt)) == 'to' ) then                               ! found range indicator
-     IO_countContinuousIntValues = 1_pInt + IO_intValue(line,chunkPos,3_pInt) &
-                                          - IO_intValue(line,chunkPos,1_pInt)
+     IO_countContinuousIntValues = 1_pInt + abs(  IO_intValue(line,chunkPos,3_pInt) &
+                                                - IO_intValue(line,chunkPos,1_pInt))
      line = IO_read(fileUnit, .true.)                                                               ! reset IO_read 
      exit                                                                                           ! only one single range indicator allowed
    else if (IO_lc(IO_stringValue(line,chunkPos,2_pInt)) == 'of' ) then                              ! found multiple entries indicator
@@ -1321,9 +1321,9 @@ function IO_continuousIntValues(fileUnit,maxN,lookupName,lookupMap,lookupMaxN)
                                                   lookupMaxN
  integer(pInt),     dimension(:,:), intent(in) :: lookupMap
  character(len=64), dimension(:),   intent(in) :: lookupName
- integer(pInt) :: i
+ integer(pInt) :: i,first,last
 #ifdef Abaqus
- integer(pInt) :: j,l,c,first,last
+ integer(pInt) :: j,l,c
 #endif
 
  integer(pInt), allocatable, dimension(:) :: chunkPos
@@ -1348,7 +1348,9 @@ function IO_continuousIntValues(fileUnit,maxN,lookupName,lookupMap,lookupMaxN)
      enddo
      exit
    else if (chunkPos(1) > 2_pInt .and. IO_lc(IO_stringValue(line,chunkPos,2_pInt)) == 'to' ) then   ! found range indicator
-     do i = IO_intValue(line,chunkPos,1_pInt),IO_intValue(line,chunkPos,3_pInt)
+     first = IO_intValue(line,chunkPos,1_pInt)
+     last  = IO_intValue(line,chunkPos,3_pInt)
+     do i = first, last, sign(1_pInt,last-first) 
        IO_continuousIntValues(1) = IO_continuousIntValues(1) + 1_pInt
        IO_continuousIntValues(1+IO_continuousIntValues(1)) = i
      enddo
diff --git a/lib/damask/asciitable.py b/lib/damask/asciitable.py
index ab745e24d..4710686b2 100644
--- a/lib/damask/asciitable.py
+++ b/lib/damask/asciitable.py
@@ -600,8 +600,11 @@ class ASCIItable():
     while i < N and self.data_read():
       items = self.data
       if len(items) > 2:
-        if   items[1].lower() == 'of': items = np.ones(datatype(items[0]))*datatype(items[2])
-        elif items[1].lower() == 'to': items = np.arange(datatype(items[0]),1+datatype(items[2]))
+        if   items[1].lower() == 'of':
+          items = np.ones(datatype(items[0]))*datatype(items[2])
+        elif items[1].lower() == 'to': 
+          items = np.linspace(datatype(items[0]),datatype(items[2]),
+                              abs(datatype(items[2])-datatype(items[0]))+1,dtype=int)
         else:                          items = list(map(datatype,items))
       else:                            items = list(map(datatype,items))
 
diff --git a/processing/pre/geom_pack.py b/processing/pre/geom_pack.py
index 0ade124e7..24636c7d7 100755
--- a/processing/pre/geom_pack.py
+++ b/processing/pre/geom_pack.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ for name in filenames:
   
 # --- write packed microstructure information -----------------------------------------------------
 
-  type = ''
+  compressType = ''
   former = start = -1
   reps = 0
 
@@ -81,25 +81,25 @@ for name in filenames:
     else:                            items = map(int,items)
 
     for current in items:
-      if current == former+1 and start+reps == former+1:   
-        type = 'to'
+      if abs(current - former) == 1 and abs(start-former) == reps - 1:
+        compressType = 'to'
         reps += 1
       elif current == former and start == former:
-        type = 'of'
+        compressType = 'of'
         reps += 1
       else:
-        if   type == '':
+        if   compressType == '':
           table.data = []
-        elif type == '.':
+        elif compressType == '.':
           table.data = [former]
-        elif type == 'to':
-          table.data = [former-reps+1,'to',former]
-        elif type == 'of':
+        elif compressType == 'to':
+          table.data = [start,'to',former]
+        elif compressType == 'of':
           table.data = [reps,'of',former]
 
         outputAlive = table.data_write(delimiter = ' ')                                             # output processed line
 
-        type = '.'
+        compressType = '.'
         start = current
         reps = 1
 
@@ -107,9 +107,9 @@ for name in filenames:
 
   table.data = {
                 '.' : [former],
-                'to': [former-reps+1,'to',former],
+                'to': [start,'to',former],
                 'of': [reps,'of',former],
-               }[type]
+               }[compressType]
 
   outputAlive = table.data_write(delimiter = ' ')                                                   # output processed line