diff --git a/lintunes/__init__.py b/lintunes/__init__.py
index 2340247..1b24f9b 100644
--- a/lintunes/__init__.py
+++ b/lintunes/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 """LinTunes — iTunes-style music library manager and player for Linux."""
 
-__version__ = "0.31.1"
+__version__ = "0.31.2"
diff --git a/lintunes/gui/transport.py b/lintunes/gui/transport.py
index e628dd0..afdaa39 100644
--- a/lintunes/gui/transport.py
+++ b/lintunes/gui/transport.py
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ TILE_STYLE = """
 QFrame#transportBox QToolButton, QFrame#transportBox QPushButton {
     border: none; background: transparent; border-radius: 6px;
 }
+QFrame#transportBox QPushButton, QFrame#transportBox QPushButton:disabled {
+    color: black;
+}
 QFrame#transportBox[tiles="true"] QToolButton:hover {
     background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 22);
 }
@@ -61,12 +64,8 @@ QFrame#transportBox[tiles="true"] QToolButton:pressed {
 
 
 def _nowplaying_style(bg: QColor) -> str:
-    return f"""
-QFrame#nowPlayingBox {{
-    background: {bg.name()};
-    border-radius: 8px;
-}}
-"""
+    """Debossed: pushed in as far as the buttons stand out."""
+    return theme.deboss_qss("QFrame#nowPlayingBox", bg, radius=8)
 
 # Title sits this many points above the artist/album line, both following the
 # UI-scale app font (see theme.UI_SCALES).
diff --git a/lintunes/gui/visualizer.py b/lintunes/gui/visualizer.py
index 446fff7..9fcd2e5 100644
--- a/lintunes/gui/visualizer.py
+++ b/lintunes/gui/visualizer.py
@@ -211,13 +211,11 @@ class VisualizerWidget(QWidget):
     def paintEvent(self, event):
         painter = QPainter(self)
         painter.setRenderHint(QPainter.RenderHint.Antialiasing)
-        # Rounded gray panel + 1px border, matching the transport button boxes.
+        # A rounded panel debossed as far as the transport buttons stand out:
+        # it shows things, it isn't pressed.
         rect = QRectF(self.rect()).adjusted(0.5, 0.5, -0.5, -0.5)
-        panel = QPainterPath()
-        panel.addRoundedRect(rect, RADIUS, RADIUS)
-        painter.fillPath(panel, self.palette().alternateBase().color())
-        painter.setPen(QPen(self.palette().mid().color(), 1))
-        painter.drawPath(panel)
+        panel = theme.paint_deboss(painter, rect,
+                                   self.palette().alternateBase().color(), RADIUS)
         painter.setClipPath(panel)  # keep bars inside the rounded shape
         if self._no_pcm:
             # Casting: the audio never passes through this machine, so show
diff --git a/lintunes/theme.py b/lintunes/theme.py
index 5adc071..5b48b3f 100644
--- a/lintunes/theme.py
+++ b/lintunes/theme.py
@@ -165,25 +165,27 @@ def apply_theme(app, prefs):
     """)
 
 
-def emboss_gradient(color: QColor, pressed: bool = False) -> str:
-    """A shallow emboss around ``color`` that hugs the edges: a crisp lit rim
-    along the top and a crisp shaded rim along the bottom, with the face
-    itself nearly flat. Computed from the live color, so it follows the
-    palette (light or dark) and the user's grayscale overrides. ``pressed``
-    flips it, which reads as the button sinking in.
-
-    The color itself sits at the midpoint, so what the user picked is still
-    exactly what the middle of the button shows."""
+def emboss_stops(color: QColor, pressed: bool = False) -> list:
+    """[(position, QColor)] of the emboss: a crisp lit rim along the top and
+    a crisp shaded rim along the bottom, with the face itself nearly flat.
+    ``pressed`` flips it — a button sinking in, or a debossed panel. The
+    color itself sits at the midpoint, so what the user picked is still
+    exactly what the middle shows."""
     rim_top, face_top = color.lighter(EMBOSS_RIM), color.lighter(EMBOSS_LIGHTER)
     face_bottom, rim_bottom = color.darker(EMBOSS_DARKER), color.darker(EMBOSS_RIM)
     if pressed:
         rim_top, face_top, face_bottom, rim_bottom = (
             rim_bottom, face_bottom, face_top, rim_top)
-    return (f"qlineargradient(x1:0, y1:0, x2:0, y2:1, "
-            f"stop:0 {rim_top.name()}, stop:{EMBOSS_RIM_WIDTH} {face_top.name()}, "
-            f"stop:0.5 {color.name()}, "
-            f"stop:{1 - EMBOSS_RIM_WIDTH:.2f} {face_bottom.name()}, "
-            f"stop:1 {rim_bottom.name()})")
+    return [(0, rim_top), (EMBOSS_RIM_WIDTH, face_top), (0.5, color),
+            (round(1 - EMBOSS_RIM_WIDTH, 2), face_bottom), (1, rim_bottom)]
+
+
+def emboss_gradient(color: QColor, pressed: bool = False) -> str:
+    """``emboss_stops`` as a style-sheet gradient. Computed from the live
+    color, so it follows the palette and the user's grayscale overrides."""
+    stops = ", ".join(f"stop:{pos} {c.name()}"
+                      for pos, c in emboss_stops(color, pressed))
+    return f"qlineargradient(x1:0, y1:0, x2:0, y2:1, {stops})"
 
 
 # How far the emboss strays from the base color (Qt's lighter/darker factor,
@@ -203,6 +205,45 @@ def emboss_edges(color: QColor) -> str:
     return f"border: 1px solid {edge}; border-bottom-color: {bottom};"
 
 
+def deboss_edges(color: QColor) -> str:
+    """The emboss outline turned over: darker along the top, as a panel set
+    into the surface catches shadow there."""
+    edge = color.darker(135).name()
+    top = color.darker(155).name()
+    return f"border: 1px solid {edge}; border-top-color: {top};"
+
+
+def deboss_qss(selector: str, color: QColor, *, radius: int = 8,
+               extra: str = "") -> str:
+    """Pushed in, by exactly as much as a button is pushed out: the same
+    rims and outline, flipped. For panels that show things rather than do
+    things (the now-playing panel, the visualizer)."""
+    return (f"{selector} {{ {deboss_edges(color)} border-radius: {radius}px;"
+            f" background: {emboss_gradient(color, pressed=True)}; {extra} }}")
+
+
+def paint_deboss(painter, rect, color: QColor, radius: float):
+    """``deboss_qss`` for a widget that paints itself: fills ``rect`` (a
+    QRectF) as a debossed rounded panel and returns its path, for clipping."""
+    from PyQt6.QtCore import QPointF
+    from PyQt6.QtGui import QLinearGradient, QPainterPath, QPen
+    path = QPainterPath()
+    path.addRoundedRect(rect, radius, radius)
+    gradient = QLinearGradient(QPointF(0, rect.top()), QPointF(0, rect.bottom()))
+    for pos, stop in emboss_stops(color, pressed=True):
+        gradient.setColorAt(pos, stop)
+    painter.fillPath(path, gradient)
+    painter.setPen(QPen(color.darker(135), 1))
+    painter.drawPath(path)
+    # the darker top edge
+    painter.save()
+    painter.setClipRect(rect.adjusted(-1, -1, 1, -rect.height() / 2))
+    painter.setPen(QPen(color.darker(155), 1))
+    painter.drawPath(path)
+    painter.restore()
+    return path
+
+
 def button_face_qss(selector: str, color: QColor, *, radius: int = 4,
                     extra: str = "", checked_color: QColor | None = None,
                     checked_text: str = "") -> str: