diff --git a/include/TEWidget.h b/include/TEWidget.h
index da9f09b6..dcb55f6a 100644
--- a/include/TEWidget.h
+++ b/include/TEWidget.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ protected:
     bool eventFilter( QObject *, QEvent * );
 
     void drawAttrStr(QPainter &paint, QRect rect, 
-                     char* str, int len, ca attr, BOOL pm);
+                     char* str, int len, ca attr, BOOL pm, BOOL clear);
     void paintEvent( QPaintEvent * );
 
     void resizeEvent(QResizeEvent*);
diff --git a/src/TEWidget.C b/src/TEWidget.C
index f7130484..8a49d8b4 100644
--- a/src/TEWidget.C
+++ b/src/TEWidget.C
@@ -189,12 +189,12 @@ TEWidget::TEWidget(QWidget *parent, const char *name) : QFrame(parent,name)
 */
 
 void TEWidget::drawAttrStr(QPainter &paint, QRect rect,
-                           char* str, int len, ca attr, BOOL pm)
+                           char* str, int len, ca attr, BOOL pm, BOOL clear)
 {
   if (pm && color_table[attr.b].transparent)
   {
     paint.setBackgroundMode( TransparentMode );
-    erase(rect);
+    if (clear) erase(rect);
   }
   else
   {
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ HCNT("setImage");
         }
         drawAttrStr(paint, 
                     QRect(blX+tLx+font_w*x,bY+tLy+font_h*y,font_w*len,font_h),
-                    disstr, len, ext[x], pm != NULL);
+                    disstr, len, ext[x], pm != NULL, true);
         x += len - 1;
       }
     }
@@ -331,11 +331,12 @@ HCNT("paintEvent");
   int rlx = QMIN(columns-1, QMAX(0,(rect.right()  - tLx - blX ) / font_w));
   int rly = QMIN(lines-1,   QMAX(0,(rect.bottom() - tLy - bY  ) / font_h));
 
-/*
+  /*
  printf("paintEvent: %d..%d, %d..%d (%d..%d, %d..%d)\n",lux,rlx,luy,rly,
   rect.left(), rect.right(), rect.top(), rect.bottom());
-*/
-
+  */
+  if (pm != NULL && color_table[image->b].transparent)
+    erase(rect);
   for (int y = luy; y <= rly; y++)
   for (int x = lux; x <= rlx; x++)
   { char *disstr = new char[columns]; int len = 1;
@@ -352,7 +353,7 @@ HCNT("paintEvent");
     }
     drawAttrStr(paint, 
                 QRect(blX+tLx+font_w*x,bY+tLy+font_h*y,font_w*len,font_h),
-                disstr, len, image[loc(x,y)], pm != NULL);
+                disstr, len, image[loc(x,y)], pm != NULL, false);
     x += len - 1;
     delete disstr;
   }
diff --git a/src/rootBg.C b/src/rootBg.C
index 5f8d41c6..a88cf628 100644
--- a/src/rootBg.C
+++ b/src/rootBg.C
@@ -248,13 +248,13 @@ void RootPixmap::generateBackground(bool shade, double r, double g, double b)
 	if ( orMode == Portrait ) {
 
 	  pmDesktop.resize( 20, QApplication::desktop()->height() );
-	  KPixmapEffect::gradient(pmDesktop, color2, color1, 
+	  KPixmapEffect::gradient(pmDesktop, color1, color2, 
 				  KPixmapEffect::VerticalGradient, numColors );
 
 	} else {
 
 	  pmDesktop.resize( QApplication::desktop()->width(), 20 );
-	  KPixmapEffect::gradient(pmDesktop, color2, color1, 
+	  KPixmapEffect::gradient(pmDesktop, color1, color2, 
 				  KPixmapEffect::HorizontalGradient, 
 				  numColors);
 		
@@ -265,13 +265,13 @@ void RootPixmap::generateBackground(bool shade, double r, double g, double b)
 	bgPixmap = new QPixmap(w,h);
 		
 	if ( orMode == Portrait ) {
-	    for (uint pw = 0; pw <= w; pw += pmDesktop.width())
-	      bitBlt( bgPixmap, pw, 0, &pmDesktop, 0, 0,
+	    for (uint pw = 0; pw <= w/20; pw += pmDesktop.width())
+	      bitBlt( bgPixmap, pw*20, 0, &pmDesktop, 0, 0,
 		      pmDesktop.width(), h);
 	} else {
-	    for (uint ph = 0; ph <= h; ph += pmDesktop.height()) {
+	    for (uint ph = 0; ph <= h/20; ph += pmDesktop.height()) {
 	      debug("land %d",ph);
-	      bitBlt( bgPixmap, 0, ph, &pmDesktop, 0, 0,
+	      bitBlt( bgPixmap, 0, ph*20, &pmDesktop, 0, 0,
 		      w, pmDesktop.height());
 	  }
 	}