diff --git a/.claude/skills/alignment/SKILL.md b/.claude/skills/alignment/SKILL.md
index aa57ebd..ce58179 100644
--- a/.claude/skills/alignment/SKILL.md
+++ b/.claude/skills/alignment/SKILL.md
@@ -59,13 +59,28 @@ Review all changes in scope. If changes span multiple patterns below, apply all
      `Button` component, icon-only buttons are `IconButton` — never a freshly styled
      `<button>`. Interactive controls are `var(--control-height)` (32px) or
      `var(--control-height-lg)` (40px); a hardcoded control height (28px, 36px, …) in a
-     diff is a finding. A freshly written bordered-field recipe is the same finding —
-     fields share one look (1px `--border-strong`, `--bg` fill, `--control-height`); a
-     new input should copy an existing field class, not re-derive it. Call-site classes composed onto a primitive may only do layout
+     diff is a finding. **The field look has exactly one home** — the element baseline
+     in `styles/base.css` (fill `var(--field)` + bottom border `--border-strong`, no
+     box; arch 09 §4): a `border:` or `background:` on an input/textarea in a component
+     module is a finding (module classes add only width/padding/font-size); the sole
+     sanctioned restatements are the select-like triggers (SelectControl, SortControl).
+     A surface that elevates to `--layer-01` sets `--field: var(--field-02)` /
+     `--field-hover: var(--field-hover-02)` on its container, mirroring
+     `--control-hover-fill`. Call-site classes composed onto a primitive may only do layout
      (flex, margins, reveal) or a documented state accent (outlined-danger, pressed) —
      restyling the primitive's box from a call site is a finding. Borders mark function:
-     value-holding controls get `--border-strong` boxes; plain actions are ghost or
-     filled; list rows are flat with dividers, not stacked boxes.
+     full `--border-strong` boxes are reserved for segmented controls, secondary
+     buttons, drop targets (dashed), and the color-swatch input; fields and triggers
+     are underlined, not boxed;
+     passive chrome (tags, badges, glyphs) takes `--border`; plain actions are ghost or
+     filled; list rows are flat with dividers, not stacked boxes. A shared look travels
+     through one of exactly four mechanisms — design tokens, contextual custom
+     properties set by surfaces, `base.css` element baselines, React primitives
+     (Button/IconButton); introducing a fifth (CSS-module `composes`, utility classes,
+     a mixin layer) is a finding. When a recipe migrates to a shared baseline, grep
+     for every selector that restated any of its fragments (focus, placeholder,
+     border) — a partially deleted restatement is worse than an undeleted one,
+     because its higher specificity silently overrides the baseline.
 
 6. **Code Comments**: Comments should not duplicate what the code already says. Remove
    parroting comments. Ensure comments capture non-obvious _why_ — design decisions,
diff --git a/docs/architecture/09-visual-design.md b/docs/architecture/09-visual-design.md
index 07a633d..426a3f4 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/09-visual-design.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/09-visual-design.md
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ were choices, not drift:
 | Color                           | "Blue at the core"; other hues only for purpose     | **Dropped.** Color/theming is free and expressive; accent is a token, many themes welcome |
 | Neutrals                        | Carbon gray ramp                                    | **Borrowed** — accessible, well-tuned, a good legible base                                |
 | Motion                          | Productive vs. expressive                           | **Productive only** — subtle, purposeful, reduced-motion-aware                            |
+| Secondary button                | A dark gray **fill** (`$button-secondary`)          | **Outlined** (Carbon's _tertiary_ shape) — one filled button per region stays the rule    |
 
 ---
 
@@ -98,7 +99,8 @@ UI by swapping one set of values. Borrowed from Carbon's layering model:
 | ---------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
 | `--bg`                                               | App canvas (lowest layer)                                                              |
 | `--layer-01` / `--layer-02`                          | Raised surfaces (panels, cards, popovers) — elevation by lightness step, not shadow    |
-| `--border` / `--border-strong`                       | Subtle and prominent separators                                                        |
+| `--border` / `--border-strong`                       | Subtle separators / component boundaries (3:1 non-text contrast)                       |
+| `--field-01` / `--field-02` (+ `--field-hover-*`)    | Field fills: one step off the canvas / off a `--layer-01` surface                      |
 | `--text` / `--text-secondary` / `--text-placeholder` | Text hierarchy                                                                         |
 | `--accent` / `--accent-hover` / `--accent-contrast`  | The expressive accent — **swappable**; UI must never hardcode a hue                    |
 | `--accent-soft` / `--accent-soft-hover`              | Low-emphasis accent **wash** (accent mixed into `--bg`) for a tinted-but-quiet surface |
@@ -113,18 +115,26 @@ UI by swapping one set of values. Borrowed from Carbon's layering model:
 - **Status palette** (borrowed, stable): error `#da1e28`, success `#198038`,
   warning `#f1c21b`, info `#0043ce` — tuned per theme for contrast.
 - **Contrast:** target WCAG AA (4.5:1 text, 3:1 large/UI). Accent-on-`--bg` and
-  text-on-`--accent` must both pass for any shipped theme.
+  text-on-`--accent` must both pass for any shipped theme. **`--border-strong` is a
+  component boundary, not decoration — it must hold 3:1 against the surface it
+  bounds (WCAG 1.4.11)**: gray-50 `#8d8d8d` light (3.32:1 on `--bg`, 3.02:1 on
+  `--layer-01`), gray-60 `#6f6f6f` dark (3.60:1 on `--bg`). Carbon's gray-30/gray-70
+  "strong" values fail this; don't drift back to them.
 - **Soft accent is derived, not hardcoded.** `--accent-soft` /
   `--accent-soft-hover` are `color-mix(in srgb, var(--accent) 12–20%, var(--bg))`,
   so the wash follows whatever accent + theme is active rather than carrying a
   per-accent value. Use it for a surface that should be _noticed_ without competing
   with a primary action (the header's **Donate** button).
-- **Field-on-layer (Carbon layering).** A field is a layer _on top of_ the surface
-  it sits on — so it steps **toward `--bg`**, never to a darker gray. On the white
-  canvas and on a `--layer-01` panel alike, an input reads as **`--bg` fill +
-  `--border-strong` outline**, not a `--layer-02` fill. Stacking a darker-gray field
-  on a gray panel (canvas → `--layer-01` panel → `--layer-02` field) muddies into
-  three indistinct grays — the bug this rule prevents (the snippet metadata panel).
+- **Field-on-layer (Carbon layering).** A field's fill is **one step off the
+  surface it sits on**, alternating like Carbon's field set: `--field-01` on the
+  canvas (gray on white / near-black on black), `--field-02` on a `--layer-01`
+  surface (white on gray / a step lighter on dark). The alternation is what keeps
+  a field visible without a box and prevents three indistinct grays from stacking
+  (canvas → panel → field — the snippet-metadata-panel bug). Mechanism: components
+  consume the contextual **`--field`** / `--field-hover` tokens only; an elevated
+  surface sets `--field: var(--field-02)` (and the hover variant) once on its
+  container — the same pattern as `--control-hover-fill`. Setters today: the modal
+  chrome and body (ModalShell), the library metadata panel, the settings popover.
 
 ### 3.4 Shape & elevation
 
@@ -149,7 +159,15 @@ UI by swapping one set of values. Borrowed from Carbon's layering model:
 
 ## 4. Component conventions
 
-- **The control scale (two heights, enforced by tokens + primitives).** Every
+- **How a shared look travels.** Exactly four mechanisms, in escalating order:
+  **design tokens** (`styles/tokens.css`) for values; **contextual custom
+  properties** set once by a surface and consumed by everything on it
+  (`--control-hover-fill`, `--field`); **`base.css` element baselines** at zero
+  specificity for looks every instance of an element shares (the focus ring, the
+  field recipe); **React primitives** (`Button`, `IconButton`) when shared
+  _behavior_ or enforced variants justify a component. Nothing else — no
+  CSS-module `composes`, no utility classes, no mixin layer. A fifth mechanism is
+  drift, even when it's locally cleaner. Every
   interactive control is `--control-height` (32px) or `--control-height-lg`
   (40px) — tokens.css. 32px is THE control height: buttons, fields, selects,
   segmented controls, icon buttons, anything in a toolbar, form row, or dialog
@@ -162,9 +180,8 @@ UI by swapping one set of values. Borrowed from Carbon's layering model:
   _inside_ a 32px control — a search field's clear, a toast's dismiss); writing
   `height:` on a new ad-hoc button is the code smell.
 - **Buttons:** square, via the `Button` primitive. Variants: **primary** (filled
-  `--accent`), **secondary** (1px `--border-strong`, `--bg` fill — the same
-  field-on-layer treatment as inputs, so a bordered control on a gray panel goes
-  white, never a darker gray), **ghost** (text-only, borderless; a transparent
+  `--accent`), **secondary** (1px `--border-strong`, `--bg` fill —
+  so a bordered control on a gray panel goes white, never a darker gray), **ghost** (text-only, borderless; a transparent
   border holds the box size), **soft-accent** (ghost on an `--accent-soft` wash —
   a low-emphasis solicitation, e.g. Donate), **danger** (filled
   `--support-error` — the confirm step), **danger-outline** (secondary geometry,
@@ -176,16 +193,16 @@ UI by swapping one set of values. Borrowed from Carbon's layering model:
   control scale — content-sized, 11–12px, no box — so they read as part of the
   prose/panel they act on, not as toolbar controls. Don't "promote" them to
   Buttons; their smallness is the emphasis level.
-- **Borders mark function, not decoration.** A 1px `--border-strong` box belongs
-  to things that _hold or receive a value_: fields, selects/disclosure triggers,
-  segmented controls, secondary buttons, drop targets (dashed). Plain actions are
-  ghost or filled — never outlined boxes. List rows are flat (hairline dividers +
-  hover fill), not stacked boxes. With square chrome, every box makes alignment
-  errors visible, so each border must earn its place; when a region looks
-  "busy", remove boxes before shrinking anything. (Carbon goes further — fields
-  are bottom-border-only and its secondary button is a gray fill; our fully-boxed
-  fields are a recorded divergence, §2, which is exactly why box discipline
-  matters more here, not less.)
+- **Borders mark function, not decoration.** Fields and select-like triggers are
+  **not boxes** — they're the quiet-field recipe below (fill + bottom border). A
+  1px `--border-strong` **box** is reserved for the few value-holding controls
+  that need full enclosure: segmented controls, secondary buttons, drop targets
+  (dashed), the color-swatch input. Plain actions are ghost or filled — never
+  outlined boxes; passive chrome (tags, badges, type glyphs) takes `--border`,
+  never `--border-strong`. List rows are flat (hairline dividers + hover fill),
+  not stacked boxes. With square chrome, every box makes alignment errors
+  visible, so each border must earn its place; when a region looks "busy",
+  remove boxes before shrinking anything.
 - **Emphasis hierarchy (Carbon button/usage).** A region carries **one**
   high-emphasis (primary) button at most; everything else is lower emphasis. In
   toolbars/headers full of utilities, the utilities go **ghost** so they recede
@@ -207,10 +224,22 @@ UI by swapping one set of values. Borrowed from Carbon's layering model:
   inherit the right step instead of each re-encoding it.
 - **Focus ring:** a 2px `--focus` outline (offset 1–2px). Always visible on
   keyboard focus — accessibility is non-negotiable (principle 4).
-- **Fields** (text, textarea, select, search): square, 1px `--border-strong`,
-  **`--bg` fill** (field-on-layer, §3.3 — white on the canvas _and_ on a
-  `--layer-01` panel; never a darker-gray fill), accent border + focus ring on
-  focus. Mono font for spec/JSON inputs.
+- **Fields** (text, textarea, select-trigger, search): **the quiet field** —
+  square, `--field` fill (one step off the surface, §3.3), **bottom border only**
+  in `--border-strong`, no box; 2px `--focus` ring hugging the box (offset −2px)
+  on focus. Mono font for spec/JSON inputs. The recipe is declared **once** in
+  `styles/base.css` as a zero-specificity element baseline (text-like `input`
+  types + `textarea`, excluding Monaco's internal widgets); component modules add
+  only idiosyncrasies — width, padding, font size — never a competing border or
+  fill. Select-like triggers are `<button>`s the baseline can't reach, so
+  SelectControl/SortControl restate it (they are fields, not buttons: a trigger
+  holds a value); their hover/open fill is `--field-hover`. Writing `border:` on
+  an input is the code smell — the field look has exactly one home. The quiet
+  treatment is Carbon's; the boxed alternative (GOV.UK's canon — 2px solid
+  enclosure) is equally legitimate a11y-wise but spends a box on every field,
+  and in a square-chrome editor UI boxes are reserved for the few controls that
+  need full enclosure. A field's boundary is carried by its fill step plus the
+  3:1 underline.
 - **List rows** (snippet library): compact, full-row hover (`--layer-01`),
   active row marked by an accent left-border + `--layer-01` fill, secondary
   metadata in `--text-secondary`. Row-level actions reveal on hover.
diff --git a/docs/architecture/visual-specimen.html b/docs/architecture/visual-specimen.html
index 229e3fa..20e0a50 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/visual-specimen.html
+++ b/docs/architecture/visual-specimen.html
@@ -70,7 +70,12 @@
         --layer-01: #f4f4f4;
         --layer-02: #e0e0e0;
         --border: #e0e0e0;
-        --border-strong: #c6c6c6;
+        /* 3:1 non-text contrast on canvas and --layer-01 (WCAG 1.4.11). */
+        --border-strong: #8d8d8d;
+        --field-01: #f4f4f4;
+        --field-02: #ffffff;
+        --field-hover-01: #e8e8e8;
+        --field-hover-02: #e8e8e8;
         --text: #161616;
         --text-secondary: #525252;
         --text-placeholder: #a8a8a8;
@@ -82,7 +87,11 @@
         --layer-01: #262626;
         --layer-02: #393939;
         --border: #393939;
-        --border-strong: #525252;
+        --border-strong: #6f6f6f;
+        --field-01: #262626;
+        --field-02: #393939;
+        --field-hover-01: #333333;
+        --field-hover-02: #474747;
         --text: #f4f4f4;
         --text-secondary: #a8a8a8;
         --text-placeholder: #6f6f6f;
@@ -494,17 +503,18 @@
         font-size: 12px;
         color: var(--text-secondary);
       }
-      /* Field-on-layer (arch 09 §3.3): a field is a layer above its surface, so it
-         steps toward --bg (white) with a --border-strong outline — on the canvas
-         and on a gray panel alike — never a darker-gray fill. */
+      /* The quiet field (arch 09 §3.3 + §4): a fill one step off its surface plus
+         a bottom border only — --field-01 on the canvas, --field-02 on a
+         --layer-01 panel (panels set --field: var(--field-02)). */
       .input,
       .select,
       .textarea {
         font: inherit;
         font-size: 14px;
         color: var(--text);
-        background: var(--bg);
-        border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+        background: var(--field, var(--field-01));
+        border: none;
+        border-block-end: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
         border-radius: var(--radius);
         padding: var(--space-3) var(--space-4);
       }
@@ -516,8 +526,7 @@
       .select:focus,
       .textarea:focus {
         outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-        outline-offset: -1px;
-        border-color: var(--accent);
+        outline-offset: -2px;
       }
       .textarea {
         font-family: var(--font-mono);
@@ -597,7 +606,8 @@
         gap: var(--space-2);
         font-size: 12px;
         padding: var(--space-1) var(--space-3);
-        border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+        /* A passive tag, not a control — subtle border (borders mark function). */
+        border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
       }
       .dot {
         width: 8px;
@@ -693,6 +703,9 @@
         border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
         padding: var(--space-6);
         max-width: 320px;
+        /* Elevated surface: fields on it step their fill off --layer-01 (arch 09 §3.3). */
+        --field: var(--field-02);
+        --field-hover: var(--field-hover-02);
       }
       .panel h4 {
         margin-bottom: var(--space-4);
@@ -1667,6 +1680,8 @@
         '--layer-02',
         '--border',
         '--border-strong',
+        '--field-01',
+        '--field-02',
         '--text',
         '--text-secondary',
         '--text-placeholder',
diff --git a/docs/ux-second-pass.md b/docs/ux-second-pass.md
index c6f7ffd..fcc1275 100644
--- a/docs/ux-second-pass.md
+++ b/docs/ux-second-pass.md
@@ -8,22 +8,6 @@ record the resolution into the contract (`docs/architecture/09`+`10` and the rel
 
 ## Open
 
-- **Border weight as identity — boxed fields vs Carbon's quieter defaults**
-  (**priority: pick this up first, next session** — user-flagged 2026-06-12).
-  Carbon's own defaults use far fewer boxes than we do: fields are filled with a
-  bottom border only (`reference/carbon` → text-input `_text-input.scss`,
-  `border-block-end` only), secondary buttons are a gray _fill_, tertiary is the
-  only outlined button (`_button.scss` → `button-theme(transparent,
-$button-tertiary, …)`), and tiles separate by layer steps with full borders
-  only behind an accessibility feature flag. Our fully-boxed fields/secondaries
-  are a recorded divergence (arch 09 §2 + §4) and the box-discipline rules now
-  contain the noise — the open question is whether to go further toward Carbon
-  (bottom-border-only fields, filled secondary) or keep the boxed look as
-  deliberate identity. An identity decision, not cleanup: it would repaint every
-  field in the app. Council seats: Carbon (canon above), NN/g (affordance of
-  boxed vs underlined inputs), a11y (3:1 non-text contrast for field boundaries
-  either way).
-
 - **Two visible "Export" buttons** (`App.tsx` header — workspace export;
   `ChartExport.tsx` in the preview header — per-chart export). Same label,
   different scope, both visible at once. Candidate fix: rename one ("Export
diff --git a/src/app/App.module.css b/src/app/App.module.css
index 02d0625..ba26c0e 100644
--- a/src/app/App.module.css
+++ b/src/app/App.module.css
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@
   font-family: var(--font-mono);
   font-size: 11px;
   color: var(--text-secondary);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+  /* A passive badge, not a control — subtle border (borders mark function). */
+  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
   border-radius: var(--radius);
   padding: var(--space-1) var(--space-3);
 }
@@ -67,6 +68,10 @@
 /* Vertical rule separating the utilities from Donate + the theme toggle.
    (The header buttons themselves are the shared Button primitive — ghost
    utilities, soft-accent Donate; arch 09 §4.) */
+/* TODO: --border-strong is the 3:1 component-boundary token (arch 09 §3.3), which
+   makes this passive divider fairly dark; --border would be the semantic choice but
+   is near-invisible on the --layer-01 header in light theme. A separator may want
+   its own subtler value if this reads too heavy. */
 .headerDivider {
   flex: 0 0 auto;
   width: var(--border-width);
diff --git a/src/app/components/AboutModal.module.css b/src/app/components/AboutModal.module.css
index e601e6f..d5c2185 100644
--- a/src/app/components/AboutModal.module.css
+++ b/src/app/components/AboutModal.module.css
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@
   display: inline-block;
   padding: var(--space-1) var(--space-3);
   background: var(--layer-01);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+  /* A passive key-cap badge, not a control — subtle border (borders mark function). */
+  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
   border-radius: var(--radius);
   font-family: var(--font-mono);
   font-size: 12px;
diff --git a/src/app/components/ChartBuilderModal.module.css b/src/app/components/ChartBuilderModal.module.css
index d9bf3d5..7d5ff21 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ChartBuilderModal.module.css
+++ b/src/app/components/ChartBuilderModal.module.css
@@ -133,11 +133,6 @@
   min-width: 0;
   height: var(--control-height);
   padding: 0 var(--space-2);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
-  font: inherit;
   font-size: 13px;
 }
 
@@ -152,10 +147,6 @@
   min-width: 0;
   height: var(--control-height);
   padding: 0 var(--space-3);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
   font-family: var(--font-mono);
   font-size: 12px;
 }
@@ -165,10 +156,6 @@
   min-width: 0;
   height: var(--control-height);
   padding: 0 var(--space-3);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
   font-family: var(--font-mono);
   font-size: 12px;
 }
@@ -179,13 +166,6 @@
   font-family: var(--font-mono);
 }
 
-.calcName:focus-visible,
-.valueInput:focus-visible,
-.exprInput:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: -1px;
-}
-
 .exprInput[aria-invalid='true'] {
   border-color: var(--support-error);
 }
@@ -423,20 +403,10 @@
   gap: var(--space-5);
 }
 
-.dimInput:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: -1px;
-}
-
 .dimInput {
   width: 100px;
   height: var(--control-height);
   padding: 0 var(--space-3);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
-  font: inherit;
   font-size: 13px;
 }
 
@@ -484,27 +454,29 @@
   min-width: 0;
 }
 
-/* Actionable-hint remedies: each fix is an offer, never forced, so they're
-   low-emphasis ghost buttons — suggestions beside the advice, not commands. */
+/* Actionable-hint remedies: each fix is an offer, never forced — low-emphasis
+   suggestions beside the advice, not commands. */
 .warningFixes {
   display: flex;
   flex-wrap: wrap;
   gap: var(--space-2);
 }
 
+/* Inline link-style actions (arch 09 §4): content-sized accent text, no box —
+   the smallness is the emphasis level. */
 .warningFix {
   font: inherit;
   font-size: 12px;
   cursor: pointer;
   padding: var(--space-1) var(--space-2);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+  border: none;
   border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
+  background: transparent;
   color: var(--accent);
 }
 
 .warningFix:hover {
-  background: var(--layer-01);
+  background: var(--control-hover-fill, var(--layer-01));
 }
 
 .warningFix:focus-visible {
@@ -727,7 +699,8 @@
 .shelfGlyph {
   min-width: 22px;
   padding: 1px var(--space-2);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+  /* A passive type tag, not a control — subtle border (borders mark function). */
+  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
   background: var(--layer-01);
   color: var(--text-secondary);
   font-family: var(--font-mono);
@@ -877,11 +850,6 @@
   width: 64px;
   margin: 0 var(--space-2);
   padding: var(--space-1) var(--space-2);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
-  font: inherit;
   font-size: 12px;
 }
 
@@ -1032,11 +1000,6 @@
   width: 200px;
   height: var(--control-height);
   padding: 0 var(--space-2);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
-  font: inherit;
   font-size: 13px;
 }
 
@@ -1045,11 +1008,6 @@
   cursor: not-allowed;
 }
 
-.propInput:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: -1px;
-}
-
 /* Reserved faceting placeholder (Phase 4) — non-interactive, signals where it'll live. */
 .facetSlot {
   display: flex;
diff --git a/src/app/components/ChartExport.module.css b/src/app/components/ChartExport.module.css
index 9d94b4f..0ac7a08 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ChartExport.module.css
+++ b/src/app/components/ChartExport.module.css
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   max-width: min(320px, 92vw);
   padding: var(--space-3);
   background: var(--layer-01);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
   border-radius: var(--radius);
   box-shadow: 0 8px 24px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
 }
diff --git a/src/app/components/DatasetsModal.module.css b/src/app/components/DatasetsModal.module.css
index 86e4b4f..c3e5461 100644
--- a/src/app/components/DatasetsModal.module.css
+++ b/src/app/components/DatasetsModal.module.css
@@ -388,11 +388,6 @@
 .textarea {
   width: 100%;
   padding: var(--space-3);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
-  font: inherit;
   font-size: 13px;
 }
 
@@ -402,17 +397,6 @@
   min-height: 160px;
 }
 
-.input:focus-visible,
-.textarea:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: -1px;
-}
-
-.input::placeholder,
-.textarea::placeholder {
-  color: var(--text-placeholder);
-}
-
 .detected {
   display: flex;
   align-items: center;
diff --git a/src/app/components/ExtractModal.module.css b/src/app/components/ExtractModal.module.css
index 1164fae..c29285f 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ExtractModal.module.css
+++ b/src/app/components/ExtractModal.module.css
@@ -37,23 +37,9 @@
 .input {
   width: 100%;
   padding: var(--space-3);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
-  font: inherit;
   font-size: 13px;
 }
 
-.input:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: -1px;
-}
-
-.input::placeholder {
-  color: var(--text-placeholder);
-}
-
 .preview {
   margin: 0;
   max-height: 240px;
diff --git a/src/app/components/ModalShell.module.css b/src/app/components/ModalShell.module.css
index dd31d31..1e41888 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ModalShell.module.css
+++ b/src/app/components/ModalShell.module.css
@@ -21,8 +21,11 @@
   border-radius: var(--radius);
   box-shadow: 0 2px 12px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.3);
   /* Modal chrome sits on --layer-01, so ghost/secondary controls in the header
-     step their hover fill up (arch 09 §4). The body resets to --bg below. */
+     step their hover fill up, and fields step their fill off this surface
+     (arch 09 §4). The body resets to --bg below. */
   --control-hover-fill: var(--layer-02);
+  --field: var(--field-02);
+  --field-hover: var(--field-hover-02);
 }
 
 /* Large: the two-pane managers (Datasets). Definite height so inner panes scroll. */
@@ -79,4 +82,6 @@
   overflow: auto;
   background: var(--bg);
   --control-hover-fill: var(--layer-01);
+  --field: var(--field-01);
+  --field-hover: var(--field-hover-01);
 }
diff --git a/src/app/components/SelectControl.module.css b/src/app/components/SelectControl.module.css
index 96f1e42..deb7df2 100644
--- a/src/app/components/SelectControl.module.css
+++ b/src/app/components/SelectControl.module.css
@@ -8,9 +8,13 @@
   gap: var(--space-2);
   height: var(--control-height);
   padding: 0 var(--space-3);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+  /* A trigger is a field, not a button (arch 09 §4): fill one step off the
+     surface, bottom border only. The baseline recipe in base.css reaches only
+     input/textarea elements, so this <button> restates it. */
+  border: none;
+  border-block-end: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
   border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
+  background: var(--field);
   color: var(--text);
   font: inherit;
   font-size: 13px;
@@ -21,12 +25,9 @@
     color var(--dur-fast) var(--ease);
 }
 
-.trigger:hover:not(:disabled) {
-  background: var(--layer-01);
-}
-
+.trigger:hover:not(:disabled),
 .trigger[aria-expanded='true'] {
-  background: var(--layer-02);
+  background: var(--field-hover);
 }
 
 .trigger:disabled {
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@
 
 .trigger:focus-visible {
   outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: 1px;
+  outline-offset: -2px;
 }
 
 .triggerLabel {
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@
   max-width: 320px;
   padding: var(--space-2);
   background: var(--layer-01);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
   border-radius: var(--radius);
   box-shadow: 0 8px 24px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.4);
 }
diff --git a/src/app/components/SettingsPopover.module.css b/src/app/components/SettingsPopover.module.css
index a3f838d..fe73648 100644
--- a/src/app/components/SettingsPopover.module.css
+++ b/src/app/components/SettingsPopover.module.css
@@ -16,9 +16,12 @@
   max-width: min(320px, 90vw);
   padding: var(--space-4);
   background: var(--layer-01);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
   border-radius: var(--radius);
   box-shadow: 0 8px 24px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
+  /* The popover surface is --layer-01: fields step their fill off it. */
+  --field: var(--field-02);
+  --field-hover: var(--field-hover-02);
 }
 
 .title {
@@ -81,11 +84,6 @@
 .text {
   height: var(--control-height);
   padding: 0 var(--space-3);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
-  font: inherit;
   font-size: 12px;
 }
 
@@ -99,16 +97,6 @@
   font-family: var(--font-mono);
 }
 
-.number:focus-visible,
-.text:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: -1px;
-}
-
-.text::placeholder {
-  color: var(--text-placeholder);
-}
-
 .reset {
   border: none;
   background: none;
diff --git a/src/app/components/SnippetLibrary.module.css b/src/app/components/SnippetLibrary.module.css
index 18e3cea..ed62e5b 100644
--- a/src/app/components/SnippetLibrary.module.css
+++ b/src/app/components/SnippetLibrary.module.css
@@ -97,24 +97,9 @@
   height: var(--control-height);
   /* Room for the leading magnifier and the trailing clear button. */
   padding: 0 32px 0 32px;
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
-  font: inherit;
   font-size: 13px;
 }
 
-.searchInput::placeholder {
-  color: var(--text-placeholder);
-}
-
-.searchInput:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: -1px;
-  border-color: var(--accent);
-}
-
 /* Hide the browser's native search clear so we control the affordance. */
 .searchInput::-webkit-search-cancel-button {
   appearance: none;
@@ -316,8 +301,11 @@
   padding: var(--space-4);
   border-top: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
   background: var(--layer-01);
-  /* The panel sits on --layer-01, so its controls' hover fill steps up. */
+  /* The panel sits on --layer-01, so its controls' hover fill and its fields'
+     fill both step off this surface, not the canvas. */
   --control-hover-fill: var(--layer-02);
+  --field: var(--field-02);
+  --field-hover: var(--field-hover-02);
 }
 
 .metaField {
@@ -338,15 +326,6 @@
 .metaComment {
   width: 100%;
   padding: var(--space-2) var(--space-3);
-  /* A field is a layer *on top of* the panel it sits on (Carbon layering,
-     arch 09 §3.2): on the gray `--layer-01` panel the field goes white with a
-     strong border — matching the search input above — rather than a darker gray,
-     which stacked three muddy grays. */
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
-  font: inherit;
   font-size: 13px;
 }
 
@@ -362,13 +341,6 @@
   line-height: 1.4;
 }
 
-.metaName:focus-visible,
-.metaComment:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: 1px;
-  border-color: var(--accent);
-}
-
 /* Read-only Created / Modified, as compact label→value rows. */
 .metaTimes {
   margin: 0;
diff --git a/src/app/components/SortControl.module.css b/src/app/components/SortControl.module.css
index 2639163..bbc335f 100644
--- a/src/app/components/SortControl.module.css
+++ b/src/app/components/SortControl.module.css
@@ -17,9 +17,12 @@
   gap: var(--space-1);
   height: var(--control-height);
   padding: 0 var(--space-3);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+  /* A trigger is a field, not a button (arch 09 §4) — same recipe as the
+     SelectControl trigger and the search input it sits beside. */
+  border: none;
+  border-block-end: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
   border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: transparent;
+  background: var(--field);
   color: var(--text-secondary);
   font: inherit;
   font-size: 12px;
@@ -30,19 +33,15 @@
     color var(--dur-fast) var(--ease);
 }
 
-.trigger:hover {
-  background: var(--layer-01);
-  color: var(--text);
-}
-
+.trigger:hover,
 .trigger[aria-expanded='true'] {
-  background: var(--layer-02);
+  background: var(--field-hover);
   color: var(--text);
 }
 
 .trigger:focus-visible {
   outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: 1px;
+  outline-offset: -2px;
 }
 
 /* The disclosed panel — portaled to <body>, positioned fixed (mirrors the
@@ -53,7 +52,7 @@
   min-width: 160px;
   padding: var(--space-2);
   background: var(--layer-01);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
   border-radius: var(--radius);
   box-shadow: 0 8px 24px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
 }
diff --git a/src/app/components/ThemeBuilderModal.module.css b/src/app/components/ThemeBuilderModal.module.css
index 343d887..0f626b0 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ThemeBuilderModal.module.css
+++ b/src/app/components/ThemeBuilderModal.module.css
@@ -121,19 +121,9 @@
   width: 100%;
   height: var(--control-height);
   padding: 0 var(--space-3);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
-  font: inherit;
   font-size: 13px;
 }
 
-.input:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: -1px;
-}
-
 .toolbarEnd {
   margin-left: auto;
   display: flex;
@@ -177,21 +167,12 @@
   width: 100%;
   min-height: 0;
   padding: var(--space-3);
-  border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  background: var(--bg);
-  color: var(--text);
   font-family: var(--font-mono);
   font-size: 12px;
   line-height: 1.5;
   resize: none;
 }
 
-.configText:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--focus);
-  outline-offset: -1px;
-}
-
 /* The gallery wraps fixed-size swatch cards; scrolls when they overflow. */
 .gallery {
   display: flex;
diff --git a/src/core/vega-themes.ts b/src/core/vega-themes.ts
index 2093bdf..7e22863 100644
--- a/src/core/vega-themes.ts
+++ b/src/core/vega-themes.ts
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ export const lightBaseConfig: Config = {
   background: 'transparent',
   title: { color: '#161616' }, // --text (light)
   axis: {
-    domainColor: '#c6c6c6', // --border-strong (light)
+    domainColor: '#c6c6c6', // axis line — deliberately lighter than UI --border-strong; chart guides stay subtle
     gridColor: '#e0e0e0', // --border (light)
     labelColor: '#525252', // --text-secondary (light)
     titleColor: '#161616', // --text (light)
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ export const darkBaseConfig: Config = {
   background: 'transparent',
   title: { color: '#f4f4f4' }, // --text (dark)
   axis: {
-    domainColor: '#525252', // --border-strong (dark)
+    domainColor: '#525252', // axis line — deliberately lighter than UI --border-strong; chart guides stay subtle
     gridColor: '#393939', // --border (dark)
     labelColor: '#a8a8a8', // --text-secondary (dark)
     titleColor: '#f4f4f4', // --text (dark)
diff --git a/styles/base.css b/styles/base.css
index f878665..cd9064e 100644
--- a/styles/base.css
+++ b/styles/base.css
@@ -55,6 +55,49 @@ body {
   outline-offset: 2px;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Field baseline (arch 09 §4) — the quiet field: a fill one step off its surface
+ * plus a bottom border only, no box. The fill comes from the contextual --field
+ * token (elevated surfaces set `--field: var(--field-02)` on their container,
+ * the same mechanism as --control-hover-fill); the underline is --border-strong,
+ * which meets 3:1 non-text contrast in both themes. Declared once here at zero
+ * specificity (:where) so modules add only their idiosyncrasies — width, mono
+ * font, padding — never a competing border recipe. Monaco's internal widgets
+ * (find/replace inputs) keep their own styling and are excluded.
+ */
+:where(
+  input:not([type]),
+  input[type='text'],
+  input[type='search'],
+  input[type='number'],
+  input[type='url'],
+  textarea
+):where(:not(.monaco-editor *)) {
+  font: inherit;
+  color: var(--text);
+  background: var(--field);
+  border: none;
+  border-block-end: var(--border-width) solid var(--border-strong);
+  border-radius: var(--radius);
+}
+
+:where(input, textarea)::placeholder {
+  color: var(--text-placeholder);
+}
+
+/* On a field the ring hugs the box — an offset ring reads as a second border
+   where there is no longer a box to anchor it. */
+:where(
+    input:not([type]),
+    input[type='text'],
+    input[type='search'],
+    input[type='number'],
+    input[type='url'],
+    textarea
+  ):where(:not(.monaco-editor *)):focus-visible {
+  outline-offset: -2px;
+}
+
 @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
   *,
   *::before,
diff --git a/styles/tokens.css b/styles/tokens.css
index ce4e478..e98d6ec 100644
--- a/styles/tokens.css
+++ b/styles/tokens.css
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@
 
   /* Focus ring defaults to the accent. */
   --focus: var(--accent);
+
+  /* Contextual field fill — elevated surfaces set `--field: var(--field-02)`
+     (and `--field-hover: var(--field-hover-02)`) once on their container, the
+     same mechanism as --control-hover-fill. */
+  --field: var(--field-01);
+  --field-hover: var(--field-hover-01);
 }
 
 /* --- Neutral roles: LIGHT theme (Carbon gray ramp) --- */
@@ -73,7 +79,16 @@
   --layer-01: #f4f4f4;
   --layer-02: #e0e0e0;
   --border: #e0e0e0;
-  --border-strong: #c6c6c6;
+  /* Component boundaries need 3:1 against the surface (WCAG 1.4.11); gray-50 is
+     3.32:1 on the canvas and 3.02:1 on --layer-01 (Carbon's $border-strong-01). */
+  --border-strong: #8d8d8d;
+  /* Field fills (arch 09 §4): a field is a fill one step off its surface plus a
+     bottom border — --field-01 on the canvas, --field-02 on an elevated surface.
+     Surfaces flip the contextual --field token; components consume --field only. */
+  --field-01: #f4f4f4;
+  --field-02: #ffffff;
+  --field-hover-01: #e8e8e8;
+  --field-hover-02: #e8e8e8;
   --text: #161616;
   --text-secondary: #525252;
   --text-placeholder: #a8a8a8;
@@ -85,7 +100,12 @@
   --layer-01: #262626;
   --layer-02: #393939;
   --border: #393939;
-  --border-strong: #525252;
+  /* 3.60:1 on the dark canvas (Carbon g100 $border-strong-01). */
+  --border-strong: #6f6f6f;
+  --field-01: #262626;
+  --field-02: #393939;
+  --field-hover-01: #333333;
+  --field-hover-02: #474747;
   --text: #f4f4f4;
   --text-secondary: #a8a8a8;
   --text-placeholder: #6f6f6f;