diff --git a/unredact/static/canvas.js b/unredact/static/canvas.js
index da63549..5dc1187 100644
--- a/unredact/static/canvas.js
+++ b/unredact/static/canvas.js
@@ -199,57 +199,57 @@ function drawRedactionPreview(r, isActive) {
   const fontName = state.fonts.find(f => f.id === (o.fontId ?? a.font.id))?.name ?? a.font.name;
   const fontSize = o.fontSize ?? a.font.size;
   const fontStr = `${fontSize}px "${fontName}"`;
-  const gapW = o.gapWidth ?? a.gap.w;
+
+  const leftText = o.leftText ?? "";
+  const rightText = o.rightText ?? "";
+  const mergedText = leftText + r.preview + rightText;
 
   if (isActive) {
     const startX = a.line.x + (o.offsetX ?? 0);
     const startY = a.line.y + (o.offsetY ?? 0);
 
     ctx.textBaseline = "top";
+    ctx.font = fontStr;
 
-    let cursorX = startX;
-
-    const leftText = o.leftText ?? "";
+    // Draw as one continuous string for natural kerning
+    // Left portion in green
     if (leftText) {
-      cursorX += drawStyledText(leftText, cursorX, startY, fontName, fontSize, "rgba(0, 200, 0, 0.7)");
+      drawStyledText(leftText, startX, startY, fontName, fontSize, "rgba(0, 200, 0, 0.7)");
     }
 
+    // Measure where the preview text starts and ends
+    const leftW = leftText ? measureStyledText(leftText, fontName, fontSize) : 0;
+    const previewX = startX + leftW;
+    const previewW = ctx.measureText(r.preview).width;
+
+    // Highlight behind the preview portion
     const pad = fontSize * 0.15;
     ctx.fillStyle = "rgba(255, 200, 0, 0.2)";
-    ctx.fillRect(cursorX, startY - pad, gapW, fontSize + pad * 2);
-    ctx.strokeStyle = "rgba(255, 200, 0, 0.8)";
-    ctx.lineWidth = 2;
-    ctx.strokeRect(cursorX, startY - pad, gapW, fontSize + pad * 2);
+    ctx.fillRect(previewX, startY - pad, previewW, fontSize + pad * 2);
 
+    // Preview text in yellow
     ctx.fillStyle = "rgba(255, 200, 0, 0.9)";
     ctx.font = fontStr;
-    ctx.fillText(r.preview, cursorX, startY);
+    ctx.fillText(r.preview, previewX, startY);
 
-    cursorX += gapW;
-
-    const rightText = o.rightText ?? "";
+    // Right portion in green
     if (rightText) {
-      drawStyledText(rightText, cursorX, startY, fontName, fontSize, "rgba(0, 200, 0, 0.7)");
+      const rightX = previewX + previewW;
+      drawStyledText(rightText, rightX, startY, fontName, fontSize, "rgba(0, 200, 0, 0.7)");
     }
 
     ctx.strokeStyle = "rgba(0, 200, 0, 0.3)";
     ctx.lineWidth = 1;
     ctx.strokeRect(a.line.x, a.line.y, a.line.w, a.line.h);
   } else {
-    const gapX = a.gap.x + (o.offsetX ?? 0);
+    // Inactive: draw full merged text in yellow at line position
+    const startX = a.line.x + (o.offsetX ?? 0);
     const textY = a.line.y + (o.offsetY ?? 0);
-    const pad = fontSize * 0.1;
-    ctx.fillStyle = "rgba(255, 200, 0, 0.12)";
-    ctx.fillRect(gapX, textY - pad, gapW, fontSize + pad * 2);
-
-    ctx.strokeStyle = "rgba(255, 200, 0, 0.5)";
-    ctx.lineWidth = 1;
-    ctx.strokeRect(gapX, textY - pad, gapW, fontSize + pad * 2);
 
     ctx.font = fontStr;
     ctx.textBaseline = "top";
     ctx.fillStyle = "rgba(255, 200, 0, 0.9)";
-    ctx.fillText(r.preview, gapX, textY);
+    ctx.fillText(mergedText, startX, textY);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/unredact/static/dom.js b/unredact/static/dom.js
index 9c7383d..69680ce 100644
--- a/unredact/static/dom.js
+++ b/unredact/static/dom.js
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export const gapValue = document.getElementById("gap-value");
 export const textEditBar = document.getElementById("text-edit-bar");
 export const leftTextInput = /** @type {HTMLInputElement} */ (document.getElementById("left-text-input"));
 export const rightTextInput = /** @type {HTMLInputElement} */ (document.getElementById("right-text-input"));
-export const redactionMarker = document.getElementById("redaction-marker");
+export const redactionMarker = /** @type {HTMLInputElement} */ (document.getElementById("redaction-marker"));
 export const textReset = document.getElementById("text-reset");
 export const toastContainer = document.getElementById("toast-container");
 
diff --git a/unredact/static/index.html b/unredact/static/index.html
index 79bc3e6..b09bbc6 100644
--- a/unredact/static/index.html
+++ b/unredact/static/index.html
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@
           </div>
           <div id="text-edit-bar" hidden>
             <input type="text" id="left-text-input" class="seg-input" spellcheck="false" autocomplete="off" placeholder="left text">
-            <span id="redaction-marker" class="redaction-marker">???</span>
+            <input type="text" id="redaction-marker" class="redaction-marker" spellcheck="false" autocomplete="off" placeholder="???">
             <input type="text" id="right-text-input" class="seg-input" spellcheck="false" autocomplete="off" placeholder="right text">
             <button id="text-reset" class="tb-btn" title="Reset to OCR">Reset</button>
           </div>
diff --git a/unredact/static/popover.js b/unredact/static/popover.js
index a6ff817..f673914 100644
--- a/unredact/static/popover.js
+++ b/unredact/static/popover.js
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ export function openPopover(id) {
     r.preview = r.solution.text;
     r.status = "analyzed";
     solveAccept.hidden = true;
-    redactionMarker.textContent = r.solution.text;
-    redactionMarker.className = "redaction-marker preview";
   } else {
     solveAccept.hidden = r.preview === null;
   }
@@ -62,7 +60,7 @@ export function openPopover(id) {
   textEditBar.hidden = false;
   leftTextInput.value = r.overrides.leftText;
   rightTextInput.value = r.overrides.rightText;
-  redactionMarker.textContent = r.preview || "???";
+  redactionMarker.value = r.preview || "";
   redactionMarker.className = r.preview ? "redaction-marker preview" : "redaction-marker";
 }
 
@@ -172,6 +170,16 @@ export function initPopover() {
 
   });
 
+  redactionMarker.addEventListener("input", () => {
+    const r = state.redactions[state.activeRedaction];
+    if (!r) return;
+    const guess = redactionMarker.value.trim();
+    r.preview = guess || null;
+    redactionMarker.className = guess ? "redaction-marker preview" : "redaction-marker";
+    solveAccept.hidden = !guess;
+    renderCanvas();
+  });
+
   solveTolerance.addEventListener("input", () => {
     solveTolValue.textContent = solveTolerance.value;
   });
diff --git a/unredact/static/solver.js b/unredact/static/solver.js
index fe2c571..2622bff 100644
--- a/unredact/static/solver.js
+++ b/unredact/static/solver.js
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ function handleSolveEvent(data, redactionId) {
       const r = state.redactions[redactionId];
       if (!r) return;
       r.preview = data.text;
-      redactionMarker.textContent = data.text;
+      redactionMarker.value = data.text;
       redactionMarker.className = "redaction-marker preview";
       renderCanvas();
       solveResults.querySelectorAll(".solve-result").forEach(el => el.classList.remove("active"));
diff --git a/unredact/static/style.css b/unredact/static/style.css
index 735bfbb..0528fc1 100644
--- a/unredact/static/style.css
+++ b/unredact/static/style.css
@@ -684,12 +684,25 @@ main {
 
 .redaction-marker {
   flex-shrink: 0;
+  min-width: 3rem;
+  max-width: 12rem;
   padding: 0.25rem 0.4rem;
   background: var(--red);
   color: #fff;
   font-size: 0.65rem;
   font-weight: 700;
+  border: none;
   border-radius: 3px;
+  text-align: center;
+}
+
+.redaction-marker::placeholder {
+  color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6);
+}
+
+.redaction-marker:focus {
+  outline: none;
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px var(--accent);
 }
 
 .redaction-marker.preview {