aedneth · aedneth · Jun 11, 2026 · Jun 11, 2026
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,21 @@ adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [3.5.0] - 2026-06-11
+
+### Changed
+
+- **`classic` and `bold` redesigned as 5-row shade-weight variants of `block`
+  (light `▒` / heavy `▓`), sharing the exact 5-row × 4-col footprint of every
+  other style.** They previously rendered as taller 9-row letterforms.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **In a minimized, non-zen window with session metadata, `classic`/`bold` no
+  longer tower over the other styles, cover the session goal, or silently fall
+  back to the `block` style** — every style now occupies an identical footprint
+  and renders its own glyphs at every window size.
+
 ## [3.4.1] - 2026-06-11
 
 ### Fixed
@@ -370,7 +385,8 @@ ANSI, zero new runtime dependencies, instant cold start.
   `FLOWCLOCK_CONFIG_DIR` / `FLOWCLOCK_DATA_DIR` overrides.
 - Color themes: `neon` (default), `amber`, `blue`, `mono`.
 
-[Unreleased]: https://github.com/aedneth/flowclock-cli/compare/v3.4.1...HEAD
+[Unreleased]: https://github.com/aedneth/flowclock-cli/compare/v3.5.0...HEAD
+[3.5.0]: https://github.com/aedneth/flowclock-cli/compare/v3.4.1...v3.5.0
 [3.4.1]: https://github.com/aedneth/flowclock-cli/compare/v3.4.0...v3.4.1
 [3.4.0]: https://github.com/aedneth/flowclock-cli/compare/v3.3.1...v3.4.0
 [3.3.1]: https://github.com/aedneth/flowclock-cli/compare/v3.3.0...v3.3.1

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -132,9 +132,10 @@ Ratio   1:4.3 focus:rest
     `minimal` at every scale, including scale 1 (minimized windows).
   - **`minimal`** — clean **light** line digits in box-drawing strokes (`┌─┐ │
     └─┘`, airy `○` colon). Scales crisply at every size.
-  - **`classic`** — tall, solid, **terminal-style numerals** that recreate a
-    familiar monospace clock (light weight).
-  - **`bold`** — the `classic` letterforms with heavier strokes.
+  - **`classic`** — solid terminal numerals in a **light shade weight** (`▒`),
+    sharing the exact 5-row × 4-col footprint of every other style.
+  - **`bold`** — solid terminal numerals in a **heavy shade weight** (`▓`),
+    sharing the exact 5-row × 4-col footprint of every other style.
 
   The goal sits **centered** above the counter and the focus/break metadata
   centered below it. Override the standalone HUD per session with `start --big`.
@@ -147,11 +148,11 @@ Ratio   1:4.3 focus:rest
   ████  ████       ┗━━┛ ┗━━┛        ╚══╝ ╚══╝
 
   minimal          classic               bold
-  ┌──┐ ┌──┐         ███   ███            ████  ████
-  │  │ │  │        █   █ █   █           ██  ██ ██  ██
-  │  │ │  │        █   █ █   █           ██  ██ ██  ██
-  └──┘ └──┘        █   █ █   █           ██  ██ ██  ██
-                    ███   ███            ████  ████
+  ┌──┐ ┌──┐         ▒▒▒  ▒▒▒▒            ▓▓▓  ▓▓▓▓
+  │  │ │  │        ▒   ▒ ▒   ▒           ▓   ▓ ▓   ▓
+  │  │ │  │        ▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒           ▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓
+  └──┘ └──┘        ▒   ▒ ▒   ▒           ▓   ▓ ▓   ▓
+                   ▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒           ▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓
   ```
 
 - **Themes** — `neon` (default), `amber`, `blue`, `mono`. Set the default with
@@ -255,17 +256,19 @@ so they stay prominent without overshadowing the metadata:
   at every scale (including scale 1 / minimized windows).
 - **`minimal`** — clean **light** line digits in box-drawing strokes (`┌─┐ │`),
   airy `○` colon. Scales crisply at every size; lighter feel than `simple`.
-- **`classic`** — tall, solid, **terminal-style numerals** (light weight) — a
-  familiar monospace clock.
-- **`bold`** — the `classic` letterforms with heavier strokes.
+- **`classic`** — solid terminal numerals in a **light shade weight** (`▒`),
+  sharing the exact 5-row × 4-col footprint of every other style.
+- **`bold`** — solid terminal numerals in a **heavy shade weight** (`▓`),
+  sharing the exact 5-row × 4-col footprint of every other style.
 
 Press **`d`** (or run `display` from the palette) to cycle
 `block → simple → outline → minimal → classic → bold`, and **`t`** to cycle the
 theme. Both choices are **saved to your config** as your new default — the same
 as running `config set displayStyle classic` / `config set theme neon`. The
-public default stays `block`; the rest are opt-in alternates. (`classic`/`bold`
-are taller 9-row fonts scaled to the same rendered footprint as the 5-row fonts,
-so cycling styles no longer changes the counter's overall size.)
+public default stays `block`; the rest are opt-in alternates. All six styles
+share the same 5-row footprint — `classic`/`bold` are shade-weight variants of
+`block` (`▒` light / `▓` heavy), so cycling styles never changes the counter's
+size or covers the session goal.
 
 ### Live session controls
 
@@ -399,7 +402,7 @@ Stored at `config.json` in your config dir (`flowclock config path`). Keys:
 | Key | Default | Meaning |
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | `theme` | `neon` | `neon` · `amber` · `blue` · `mono` |
-| `displayStyle` | `block` | Counter look: `block` solid (default), `simple` heavy line digits, `outline` hollow silhouette in double-line chars (`╔═╗`) distinct from `minimal`, `minimal` light line digits, `classic` tall solid terminal numerals, or `bold` heavier — all same reserve-first scaling; cycle live with `d` |
+| `displayStyle` | `block` | Counter look: `block` solid (default), `simple` heavy line digits, `outline` hollow silhouette in double-line chars (`╔═╗`) distinct from `minimal`, `minimal` light line digits, `classic` light-shade `▒` solid numerals, `bold` heavy-shade `▓` — all share the exact 5-row footprint; cycle live with `d` |
 | `showControls` | `true` | show the controls footer (`--zen` overrides) |
 | `dailyFocusGoalS` | `14400` | daily focus goal in seconds (drives maximization %) |
 | `keybindings.{pause,break,category,reset,quit}` | `p` `b` `c` `r` `q` | in-session keys |
@@ -432,6 +435,7 @@ on-disk schema is **v3**; migrations are non-destructive.
 | **v3.3.1** ✅ | `outline` redrawn as a light seven-segment font (no more garbling at large scale); `classic`/`bold` degrade gracefully (drop goal line → block font) instead of collapsing to a text clock in a minimized window with metadata |
 | **v3.4.0** ✅ | restored the original silhouette `outline` style (hollow double-wall nested-rectangle); added `minimal` (light seven-segment line font); uniform counter scaling so `classic`/`bold` no longer tower over the 5-row fonts in minimized/zen windows |
 | **v3.4.1** ✅ | `outline` double-line box-drawing chars (`╔═╗`) — distinct from `minimal` at every scale; uniform `classic`/`bold` footprint — height capped to 5-row reference, degrades to `block` in short windows |
+| **v3.5.0** ✅ | `classic`/`bold` redesigned as 5-row shade weights (`▒`/`▓`) for exact footprint parity with all styles — no more towering, goal covering, or silent fallback to `block` |
 | **next** | `flowclock sync` — push `sessions.json` to a self-hosted/cloud endpoint; recurring goals; dashboard filters |
 | **later** | Per-goal analytics deep-dives, calendar heatmap, Homebrew tap |
 

diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "flowclock-cli",
-  "version": "3.4.1",
+  "version": "3.5.0",
   "description": "Flowtime count-up terminal timer (HUD, not Pomodoro) with silent session logging — agent-native, like gh and vercel.",
   "type": "module",
   "license": "AGPL-3.0-or-later",

diff --git a/src/lib/bigfont.ts b/src/lib/bigfont.ts
@@ -321,50 +321,34 @@ export function computeSessionScale(
 }
 
 /**
- * Pick a scale that gives every style a CONSISTENT rendered footprint, so the
- * counter does not jump in size when cycling display styles with `d`.
- *
- * The problem: the tall (9-row) `classic`/`bold` fonts, scaled independently to
- * fill the area, rendered ~1.8× taller than the 5-row fonts at the same window
- * size — towering over them and even crowding out the goal line. Here the 5-row
- * `block` font is the reference: we scale every style toward the SAME target
- * rendered height (block's), so all styles occupy roughly the same vertical
- * footprint. 5-row styles are unaffected (they already match block exactly);
- * the tall fonts pick the LARGEST integer scale whose height does not exceed
- * the reference, so they never overshoot the line fonts or crowd the goal line.
+ * Pick the counter scale for `style`. Every display style now shares the exact
+ * 5-row × 4-col `block` footprint (the tall 9-row `classic`/`bold` letterforms
+ * were retired in favour of 5-row shade weights — see STYLE_METRICS), so a
+ * single scale gives ALL styles an identical rendered size. Cycling styles with
+ * `d` therefore never makes the counter jump in size, and no style-specific
+ * "taming" is needed — this is now a thin, style-aware wrapper over
+ * `computeSessionScale` kept for a stable call site and clear intent.
  */
 export function uniformCounterScale(
   areaCols: number,
   areaRows: number,
   time: string,
   style: DisplayStyle,
 ): number {
-  // Reference: how tall the 5-row block font renders in this area.
-  const refScale = computeSessionScale(areaCols, areaRows, time, { style: "block" });
-  const refHeight = refScale * styleBaseRows("block");
-
-  // Largest scale that physically fits this style in the area.
-  const natural = computeSessionScale(areaCols, areaRows, time, { style });
-
-  // 5-row styles already match the reference; only the tall fonts need taming.
-  if (styleBaseRows(style) === styleBaseRows("block")) return natural;
-
-  // Scale the tall font to the LARGEST integer height that does NOT exceed the
-  // reference (floor, not round) — so classic/bold never tower over the line
-  // fonts or crowd the goal line — then clamp to what actually fits the area.
-  const target = Math.max(1, Math.floor(refHeight / styleBaseRows(style)));
-  return Math.min(natural, target);
+  return computeSessionScale(areaCols, areaRows, time, { style });
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Tall solid "classic" / "bold" fonts — terminal-style numerals
+// Solid shade-weight "classic" / "bold" fonts — terminal numerals
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 /**
- * Per-style glyph geometry. `block`/`simple`/`outline`/`minimal` share the
- * original 5-row, 4-wide-digit footprint; `classic`/`bold` are taller (9 rows)
- * solid letterforms. Threading these metrics through the scaling maths keeps the
- * reserve-first layout exact for every style.
+ * Per-style glyph geometry. EVERY style shares the original 5-row, 4-wide-digit,
+ * 1-wide-colon footprint, so the reserve-first scaling maths and small-panel
+ * fallback thresholds are byte-for-byte identical across all six styles. The
+ * styles differ only in how each filled cell is INKED (see `renderCounter`):
+ * `block` full `█`, `classic`/`bold` the lighter `▒` / heavier `▓` shade
+ * weights, and `simple`/`outline`/`minimal` box-drawing line-art.
  */
 interface StyleMetrics {
   rows: number;
@@ -377,8 +361,8 @@ const STYLE_METRICS: Record<DisplayStyle, StyleMetrics> = {
   simple:  { rows: BIG_ROWS, digitW: 4, colonW: 1 },
   outline: { rows: BIG_ROWS, digitW: 4, colonW: 1 },
   minimal: { rows: BIG_ROWS, digitW: 4, colonW: 1 },
-  classic: { rows: 9, digitW: 5, colonW: 1 },
-  bold:    { rows: 9, digitW: 6, colonW: 2 },
+  classic: { rows: BIG_ROWS, digitW: 4, colonW: 1 },
+  bold:    { rows: BIG_ROWS, digitW: 4, colonW: 1 },
 };
 
 /** Number of text rows the style occupies at scale 1. */
@@ -398,71 +382,30 @@ export function styleWidth(style: DisplayStyle, time: string, scale = 1): number
   return w * scale;
 }
 
-// 5-wide × 9-tall LIGHT letterforms (the `classic` style).
-const CLASSIC_GLYPHS: Record<string, string[]> = {
-  "0": [" ███ ", "█   █", "█   █", "█   █", "█   █", "█   █", "█   █", "█   █", " ███ "],
-  "1": ["  █  ", " ██  ", "  █  ", "  █  ", "  █  ", "  █  ", "  █  ", "  █  ", " ███ "],
-  "2": [" ███ ", "█   █", "    █", "    █", "   █ ", "  █  ", " █   ", "█    ", "█████"],
-  "3": [" ███ ", "█   █", "    █", "  ██ ", "    █", "    █", "    █", "█   █", " ███ "],
-  "4": ["   █ ", "  ██ ", " █ █ ", "█  █ ", "█████", "   █ ", "   █ ", "   █ ", "   █ "],
-  "5": ["█████", "█    ", "█    ", "████ ", "    █", "    █", "    █", "█   █", " ███ "],
-  "6": [" ███ ", "█   █", "█    ", "█    ", "████ ", "█   █", "█   █", "█   █", " ███ "],
-  "7": ["█████", "    █", "   █ ", "   █ ", "  █  ", "  █  ", " █   ", " █   ", " █   "],
-  "8": [" ███ ", "█   █", "█   █", "█   █", " ███ ", "█   █", "█   █", "█   █", " ███ "],
-  "9": [" ███ ", "█   █", "█   █", "█   █", " ████", "    █", "    █", "█   █", " ███ "],
-  ":": [" ", " ", "█", " ", " ", " ", "█", " ", " "],
-};
-
-// 6-wide × 9-tall HEAVY letterforms (the `bold` style).
-const BOLD_GLYPHS: Record<string, string[]> = {
-  "0": [" ████ ", "██  ██", "██  ██", "██  ██", "██  ██", "██  ██", "██  ██", "██  ██", " ████ "],
-  "1": ["  ██  ", " ███  ", "  ██  ", "  ██  ", "  ██  ", "  ██  ", "  ██  ", "  ██  ", " ████ "],
-  "2": [" ████ ", "██  ██", "    ██", "   ██ ", "  ██  ", " ██   ", "██    ", "██    ", "██████"],
-  "3": [" ████ ", "██  ██", "    ██", "  ███ ", "    ██", "    ██", "    ██", "██  ██", " ████ "],
-  "4": ["   ██ ", "  ███ ", " ████ ", "██ ██ ", "██████", "   ██ ", "   ██ ", "   ██ ", "   ██ "],
-  "5": ["██████", "██    ", "██    ", "█████ ", "    ██", "    ██", "    ██", "██  ██", " ████ "],
-  "6": [" ████ ", "██  ██", "██    ", "██    ", "█████ ", "██  ██", "██  ██", "██  ██", " ████ "],
-  "7": ["██████", "    ██", "   ██ ", "   ██ ", "  ██  ", "  ██  ", " ██   ", " ██   ", " ██   "],
-  "8": [" ████ ", "██  ██", "██  ██", "██  ██", " ████ ", "██  ██", "██  ██", "██  ██", " ████ "],
-  "9": [" ████ ", "██  ██", "██  ██", "██  ██", " █████", "    ██", "    ██", "██  ██", " ████ "],
-  ":": ["  ", "  ", "██", "██", "  ", "██", "██", "  ", "  "],
-};
+/** The shade glyph each solid weight inks its filled cells with. */
+const CLASSIC_FILL = "▒"; // light/medium shade — the `classic` weight
+const BOLD_FILL = "▓"; // heavy shade — the `bold` weight
 
 /**
- * Render a 9-row solid-letterform font (classic/bold) by integer cell-repeat —
- * crisp at every scale, no half-block artefacts. Width parity with
- * `styleWidth` is guaranteed by the glyph tables matching STYLE_METRICS.
+ * Render the solid `block` geometry with a different fill glyph. `classic` and
+ * `bold` are weight variants of the default `block` font: they share its EXACT
+ * 5-row × 4-col cell grid (so every dimension, scale step and layout reservation
+ * is byte-for-byte identical to block), and differ only by inking each filled
+ * cell with a lighter `▒` / heavier `▓` shade instead of the full `█`. Reusing
+ * `renderBigLines` guarantees the footprint can never drift from block's.
  */
-function renderTallSolid(
-  time: string,
-  scale: number,
-  glyphs: Record<string, string[]>,
-  rows: number,
-  digitW: number,
-): string[] {
-  const H = rows * scale;
-  const out = Array.from({ length: H }, () => "");
-  const chars = [...time];
-  const blank = Array.from({ length: rows }, () => " ".repeat(digitW));
-  chars.forEach((ch, idx) => {
-    const g = glyphs[ch] ?? blank;
-    const sep = idx < chars.length - 1 ? " ".repeat(scale) : "";
-    for (let r = 0; r < rows; r++) {
-      const line = [...(g[r] ?? "")].map((c) => c.repeat(scale)).join("");
-      for (let s = 0; s < scale; s++) out[r * scale + s] += line + sep;
-    }
-  });
-  return out;
+function renderShaded(time: string, scale: number, fill: string): string[] {
+  return renderBigLines(time, scale).map((line) => line.replaceAll("█", fill));
 }
 
-/** Render the `classic` style — tall LIGHT solid terminal numerals. */
+/** Render the `classic` style — solid LIGHT shade (`▒`) terminal numerals. */
 export function renderClassicLines(time: string, scale = 1): string[] {
-  return renderTallSolid(time, scale, CLASSIC_GLYPHS, STYLE_METRICS.classic.rows, STYLE_METRICS.classic.digitW);
+  return renderShaded(time, scale, CLASSIC_FILL);
 }
 
-/** Render the `bold` style — tall HEAVY solid terminal numerals. */
+/** Render the `bold` style — solid HEAVY shade (`▓`) terminal numerals. */
 export function renderBoldLines(time: string, scale = 1): string[] {
-  return renderTallSolid(time, scale, BOLD_GLYPHS, STYLE_METRICS.bold.rows, STYLE_METRICS.bold.digitW);
+  return renderShaded(time, scale, BOLD_FILL);
 }
 
 /** Render `time` in the requested display style at the given scale. */

diff --git a/src/schemas/config.ts b/src/schemas/config.ts
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ export type ThemeName = z.infer<typeof ThemeNameSchema>;
  *  - "simple"  clean heavy box-drawing seven-segment digits
  *  - "outline" hollow DOUBLE-LINE silhouette glyphs (╔═╗ ║ ╚╝ — distinct at every scale)
  *  - "minimal" clean light box-drawing seven-segment digits (airy line font)
- *  - "classic" tall solid terminal-style numerals (light weight)
- *  - "bold"    tall solid terminal-style numerals (heavy weight)
+ *  - "classic" solid terminal numerals in a LIGHT shade weight (▒)
+ *  - "bold"    solid terminal numerals in a HEAVY shade weight (▓)
  */
 export const DisplayStyleSchema = z.enum([
   "simple",