diff --git a/src/Cairo_Theme.cxx b/src/Cairo_Theme.cxx
index c8b3e62..39fbe5d 100644
--- a/src/Cairo_Theme.cxx
+++ b/src/Cairo_Theme.cxx
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #include "FL/Fl_Theme.H"
 #include <math.h>
 
-float fl_box_saturation = 0.2f;
+float fl_box_saturation = 0.8f;
 bool fl_boxes_use_gradients = true;
 bool fl_debug_boxes = false;
 
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ static void shade_rect_down(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color bc)
 
 static void up_frame(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color c)
 {
-    frame_rect_up(x, y, w, h, fl_darker(c));
+    frame_rect_up(x, y, w, h, c);
 }
 
 static void thin_up_box(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color c)
@@ -172,12 +172,15 @@ static void down_frame(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color c)
 
 static void down_box(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color c)
 {
-    shade_rect_down(x, y, w, h, fl_lighter(c));
+    shade_rect_down(x, y, w, h, c == FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR || c == FL_BACKGROUND2_COLOR ? fl_darker(c) : c );
 }
 
 static void thin_down_box(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color c)
 {
-    down_box(x, y, w, h, fl_lighter(c));
+    down_box(x, y, w, h,
+	     FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR == c || FL_BACKGROUND2_COLOR == c
+	     ? fl_darker(c)
+	     : c );
 }
 
 static void border_box(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color c)
diff --git a/src/Clean_Theme.cxx b/src/Clean_Theme.cxx
index d0ffe76..05e0f50 100644
--- a/src/Clean_Theme.cxx
+++ b/src/Clean_Theme.cxx
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ static void down_frame(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color c)
 
 static void down_box(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color c)
 {
-    rectf(x, y, w, h, c );
+    rectf(x, y, w, h,
+	  FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR == c || FL_BACKGROUND2_COLOR == c
+	  ? fl_darker(c)
+	  : c );
     rect(x, y, w, h, fl_color_average( FL_WHITE, c, 0.2 ) );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Crystal_Theme.cxx b/src/Crystal_Theme.cxx
index c3dadfa..08b3010 100644
--- a/src/Crystal_Theme.cxx
+++ b/src/Crystal_Theme.cxx
@@ -352,7 +352,10 @@ down_box ( int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color c )
     if ( w > 6 && h > 6 )
     {
 //        shade_rect( x + 2, y + 2, w - 4, h - 5, "STUVWWWVT", c );
-        fl_rectf( x + 2, y + 2, w - 4, h - 5 , fl_darker( c ) );
+        fl_rectf( x + 2, y + 2, w - 4, h - 5 ,
+		  FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR == c || FL_BACKGROUND2_COLOR == c
+		  ? fl_darker(c)
+		  : c );
         down_frame( x, y, w, h, c );
     }
     else
diff --git a/src/Gleam_Theme.cxx b/src/Gleam_Theme.cxx
index 0f7f420..b867267 100644
--- a/src/Gleam_Theme.cxx
+++ b/src/Gleam_Theme.cxx
@@ -140,7 +140,10 @@ static void down_frame(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color c)
 
 static void down_box(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color c)
 {
-	shade_rect_down(x + 1, y, w - 2, h, c);
+	shade_rect_down(x + 1, y, w - 2, h,
+			FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR == c || FL_BACKGROUND2_COLOR == c
+			? fl_darker(c)
+			: c );
 	down_frame(x, y, w, h, fl_darker(c));
 	//draw the inner rect.
 	//frame_rect(x + 1, y + 1, w - 3, h - 3, fl_color_average(c, FL_BLACK, .65));
diff --git a/src/Vector_Theme.cxx b/src/Vector_Theme.cxx
index 286a742..503c408 100644
--- a/src/Vector_Theme.cxx
+++ b/src/Vector_Theme.cxx
@@ -48,11 +48,19 @@ static void cairo_color(Fl_Color c)
 static Fl_Color border_color ( Fl_Color c )
 {
     return fl_color_average( FL_FOREGROUND_COLOR, c, 0.20f );
+    /* return fl_color_average( FL_FOREGROUND_COLOR, c, 0.33f ); */
+    /* return fl_color_average( FL_FOREGROUND_COLOR, c, 0.50f ); */
 }
 
 static Fl_Color interior_color ( Fl_Color c )
 {
-    return fl_color_average( FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR, c, 0.50f );
+    return fl_color_average( FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR, c, 0.33f );
+}
+
+static Fl_Color outer_border_color ( Fl_Color c )
+{
+    /* return fl_darker( interior_color( c ) ); */
+    return fl_color_average( c, FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR, 0.50f );
 }
 
 static void rect_path ( float x, float y, float w, float h, double radius )
@@ -96,23 +104,34 @@ static void draw_rectf(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color bc, double radius =
 static void up_box(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color bc)
 {
     draw_rectf( x, y, w, h, interior_color( bc ) );
-    draw_rect( x, y, w, h, border_color( bc ) );
+    /* draw_rect( x, y, w, h, border_color( bc ) ); */
+    draw_rect( x+1, y+1, w-2, h-2, border_color( bc ) );
+    draw_rect( x, y, w, h, outer_border_color( bc ) );
 }
 
 static void up_frame(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color bc)
 {
-    draw_rect( x,y,w,h, border_color(bc) );
+        /* draw_rect( x, y, w, h, border_color( bc ) ); */
+    draw_rect( x+1,y+1,w-2,h-2, border_color(bc) );
+    draw_rect( x, y, w, h, outer_border_color( bc ) );
 }
 
 static void down_frame(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color bc)
 {
-    draw_rect( x,y,w,h, bc );
+        /* draw_rect( x, y, w, h, bc  ); */
+    draw_rect( x+1,y+1,w-2,h-2, bc );
+    draw_rect( x, y, w, h, outer_border_color( bc ) );
 }
 
 static void down_box(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color bc)
 {
-    draw_rectf( x, y, w, h, interior_color( bc ) );
-    draw_rect( x, y, w, h, bc );
+    draw_rectf( x, y, w, h,
+		FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR == bc || FL_BACKGROUND2_COLOR == bc
+		? fl_darker(interior_color(bc))
+		: interior_color( bc ) );
+        /* draw_rect( x, y, w, h, bc  ); */
+    draw_rect( x+1, y+1, w-2, h-2, bc );
+    draw_rect( x, y, w, h, outer_border_color( bc ) );
 }
 
 static void border_box(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color bc)
@@ -120,6 +139,9 @@ static void border_box(int x, int y, int w, int h, Fl_Color bc)
     cairo_color( interior_color( bc ) );
     fl_rectf( x, y, w, h );
     cairo_color( border_color( bc ) );
+    /* fl_rect( x, y, w, h, bc ); */
+    fl_rect( x+1, y+1, w-2, h-2, bc );
+    cairo_color( outer_border_color( bc ) );
     fl_rect( x, y, w, h, bc );
 }