diff --git a/src/app.css b/src/app.css
index 76440c5..8b7ba45 100644
--- a/src/app.css
+++ b/src/app.css
@@ -59,8 +59,7 @@
 	--success: #2f9e5c;
 	--warn: #d9901b;
 	--shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06), 0 4px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
-	--page-line: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.18);
-	--grid-line: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
+	--page-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12), 0 0 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.04);
 	--ghost: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.045);
 	--ghost-border: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12);
 	--radius: 6px;
@@ -86,8 +85,7 @@
 	--success: #44cf6e;
 	--warn: #e9973f;
 	--shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3), 0 6px 20px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.35);
-	--page-line: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.16);
-	--grid-line: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04);
+	--page-shadow: 0 0 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.06), 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
 	--ghost: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04);
 	--ghost-border: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.14);
 	color-scheme: dark;
diff --git a/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte b/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte
index d401e9b..4f05d39 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte
@@ -28,13 +28,6 @@
 	let stage: HTMLDivElement;
 	const cssVars = pageCssVars();
 
-	// Background grid: world-anchored, stepping up ×4 when zoomed out so lines never get denser than ~12px.
-	const gridStep = $derived.by(() => {
-		let step = 24 * viewport.scale;
-		while (step < 12) step *= 4;
-		return step;
-	});
-
 	// ---- autosave --------------------------------------------------------
 	$effect(() => {
 		if (doc.version > 0) untrack(() => workspace.scheduleSave());
@@ -529,7 +522,6 @@
 		class:panning
 		class:erasing={tools.tool === 'eraser'}
 		bind:this={stage}
-		style="--grid: {gridStep}px; background-position: {viewport.x}px {viewport.y}px"
 		onpointerdown={onPointerDown}
 		onpointermove={onPointerMove}
 		onpointerup={onPointerUp}
@@ -668,11 +660,7 @@
 		touch-action: none;
 		user-select: none;
 		-webkit-user-select: none;
-		background-color: var(--bg-canvas);
-		background-image:
-			linear-gradient(to right, var(--grid-line) 1px, transparent 1px),
-			linear-gradient(to bottom, var(--grid-line) 1px, transparent 1px);
-		background-size: var(--grid) var(--grid);
+		background: var(--bg-canvas);
 	}
 	.stage :global(.cm-content) {
 		user-select: text;
diff --git a/src/lib/components/PageView.svelte b/src/lib/components/PageView.svelte
index ad52f25..51843b8 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/PageView.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/PageView.svelte
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@
 		inset: 0;
 		background: #ffffff;
 		overflow: hidden;
-		/* Crisp 1 screen-px outline, no blur. */
-		box-shadow: 0 0 0 calc(1px / var(--s)) var(--page-line);
+		box-shadow: var(--page-shadow);
 	}
 	.paper.invert {
 		filter: invert(0.88) hue-rotate(180deg);