diff --git a/app.lua b/app.lua
index e5be2b0..56b9dba 100644
--- a/app.lua
+++ b/app.lua
@@ -157,6 +157,10 @@ function App.screen.print(msg, x,y)
   end
 end
 
+function App.color(color)
+  love.graphics.setColor(color.r, color.g, color.b, color.a)
+end
+
 App.time = 1
 function App.getTime()
   return App.time
diff --git a/drawing.lua b/drawing.lua
index 8668915..53f2c78 100644
--- a/drawing.lua
+++ b/drawing.lua
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ require 'drawing_tests'
 function Drawing.draw(line)
   local pmx,pmy = App.mouse_x(), App.mouse_y()
   if pmx < App.screen.width-Margin_right and pmy > line.y and pmy < line.y+Drawing.pixels(line.h) then
-    love.graphics.setColor(0.75,0.75,0.75)
+    App.color(Icon_color)
     love.graphics.rectangle('line', Margin_left,line.y, App.screen.width-Margin_width,Drawing.pixels(line.h))
     if icon[Current_drawing_mode] then
       icon[Current_drawing_mode](App.screen.width-Margin_right-22, line.y+4)
@@ -31,19 +31,19 @@ function Drawing.draw(line)
   for _,shape in ipairs(line.shapes) do
     assert(shape)
     if geom.on_shape(mx,my, line, shape) then
-      love.graphics.setColor(1,0,0)
+      App.color(Focus_stroke_color)
     else
-      love.graphics.setColor(0,0,0)
+      App.color(Stroke_color)
     end
     Drawing.draw_shape(Margin_left,line.y, line, shape)
   end
   for i,p in ipairs(line.points) do
     if p.deleted == nil then
       if Drawing.near(p, mx,my) then
-        love.graphics.setColor(1,0,0)
+        App.color(Focus_stroke_color)
         love.graphics.circle('line', Drawing.pixels(p.x)+Margin_left,Drawing.pixels(p.y)+line.y, 4)
       else
-        love.graphics.setColor(0,0,0)
+        App.color(Stroke_color)
         love.graphics.circle('fill', Drawing.pixels(p.x)+Margin_left,Drawing.pixels(p.y)+line.y, 2)
       end
       if p.name then
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ function Drawing.draw(line)
         love.graphics.print(p.name, x,y)
         if Current_drawing_mode == 'name' and i == line.pending.target_point then
           -- create a faint red box for the name
-          love.graphics.setColor(1,0,0,0.1)
+          App.color(Current_name_background_color)
           local name_text
           -- TODO: avoid computing name width on every repaint
           if p.name == '' then
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ function Drawing.draw(line)
       end
     end
   end
-  love.graphics.setColor(0.75,0.75,0.75)
+  App.color(Current_stroke_color)
   Drawing.draw_pending_shape(Margin_left,line.y, line)
 end
 
diff --git a/edit.lua b/edit.lua
index 8ecbf24..c2a6a90 100644
--- a/edit.lua
+++ b/edit.lua
@@ -1,3 +1,15 @@
+-- some constants people might like to tweak
+Text_color = {r=0, g=0, b=0}
+Cursor_color = {r=1, g=0, b=0}
+Stroke_color = {r=0, g=0, b=0}
+Current_stroke_color = {r=0.7, g=0.7, b=0.7}  -- in process of being drawn
+Current_name_background_color = {r=1, g=0, b=0, a=0.1}  -- name currently being edited
+Focus_stroke_color = {r=1, g=0, b=0}  -- what mouse is hovering over
+Highlight_color = {r=0.7, g=0.7, b=0.9}  -- selected text
+Icon_color = {r=0.7, g=0.7, b=0.7}  -- color of current mode icon in drawings
+Help_color = {r=0, g=0.5, b=0}
+Help_background_color = {r=0, g=0.5, b=0, a=0.1}
+
 utf8 = require 'utf8'
 
 require 'file'
@@ -102,7 +114,7 @@ end  -- App.initialize_globals
 function edit.draw()
   Button_handlers = {}
 
-  love.graphics.setColor(0, 0, 0)
+  App.color(Text_color)
 --?   print(Screen_top1.line, Screen_top1.pos, Cursor1.line, Cursor1.pos)
   assert(Text.le1(Screen_top1, Cursor1))
   Cursor_y = -1
diff --git a/help.lua b/help.lua
index ccaed84..92cdb0a 100644
--- a/help.lua
+++ b/help.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 function draw_help_without_mouse_pressed(drawing)
-  love.graphics.setColor(0,0.5,0)
+  App.color(Help_color)
   local y = drawing.y+10
   love.graphics.print("Things you can do:", Margin_left+30,y)
   y = y + Line_height
@@ -45,12 +45,12 @@ function draw_help_without_mouse_pressed(drawing)
   y = y + Line_height
   love.graphics.print("Press 'esc' now to hide this message", Margin_left+30,y)
   y = y + Line_height
-  love.graphics.setColor(0,0.5,0, 0.1)
+  App.color(Help_background_color)
   love.graphics.rectangle('fill', Margin_left,drawing.y, App.screen.width-Margin_width, math.max(Drawing.pixels(drawing.h),y-drawing.y))
 end
 
 function draw_help_with_mouse_pressed(drawing)
-  love.graphics.setColor(0,0.5,0)
+  App.color(Help_color)
   local y = drawing.y+10
   love.graphics.print("You're currently drawing a "..current_shape(drawing.pending), Margin_left+30,y)
   y = y + Line_height
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ function draw_help_with_mouse_pressed(drawing)
     love.graphics.print("* Press 's' to switch to drawing squares", Margin_left+30,y)
     y = y + Line_height
   end
-  love.graphics.setColor(0,0.5,0, 0.1)
+  App.color(Help_background_color)
   love.graphics.rectangle('fill', Margin_left,drawing.y, App.screen.width-Margin_width, math.max(Drawing.pixels(drawing.h),y-drawing.y))
 end
 
diff --git a/icons.lua b/icons.lua
index 06ebf50..19939cf 100644
--- a/icons.lua
+++ b/icons.lua
@@ -1,25 +1,10 @@
 icon = {}
 
-function icon.line_width(x, y)
-  love.graphics.setColor(0.7,0.7,0.7)
-  love.graphics.line(x+0,y+0, x+9,y+0)
-  love.graphics.line(x+0,y+1, x+9,y+1)
-  love.graphics.line(x+0,y+2, x+9,y+2)
-  love.graphics.line(x+0,y+3, x+9,y+3)
-  love.graphics.line(x+0,y+4, x+9,y+4)
-  love.graphics.line(x+0,y+5, x+9,y+5)
-  love.graphics.line(x+1,y+6, x+8,y+6)
-  love.graphics.line(x+2,y+7, x+7,y+7)
-  love.graphics.line(x+3,y+8, x+6,y+8)
-  love.graphics.line(x+4,y+9, x+5,y+9)
-end
-
 function icon.insert_drawing(x, y)
-  love.graphics.setColor(0.7,0.7,0.7)
+  App.color(Icon_color)
   love.graphics.rectangle('line', x,y, 12,12)
   love.graphics.line(4,y+6, 16,y+6)
   love.graphics.line(10,y, 10,y+12)
-  love.graphics.setColor(0, 0, 0)
 end
 
 function icon.freehand(x, y)
diff --git a/search.lua b/search.lua
index 5ab9e04..eca7cd7 100644
--- a/search.lua
+++ b/search.lua
@@ -11,14 +11,14 @@ function Text.draw_search_bar()
   love.graphics.rectangle('fill', 20, y-6, App.screen.width-40, h+2, 2,2)
   love.graphics.setColor(0.6,0.6,0.6)
   love.graphics.rectangle('line', 20, y-6, App.screen.width-40, h+2, 2,2)
-  love.graphics.setColor(0,0,0)
+  App.color(Text_color)
   App.screen.print(Search_term, 25,y-5)
-  love.graphics.setColor(1,0,0)
+  App.color(Cursor_color)
   if Search_text == nil then
     Search_text = App.newText(love.graphics.getFont(), Search_term)
   end
   love.graphics.circle('fill', 25+App.width(Search_text),y-5+h, 2)
-  love.graphics.setColor(0,0,0)
+  App.color(Text_color)
 end
 
 function Text.search_next()
diff --git a/select.lua b/select.lua
index adf4739..9e88c60 100644
--- a/select.lua
+++ b/select.lua
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ function Text.draw_highlight(line, x,y, pos, lo,hi)
     local s = line.data:sub(lo_offset, hi_offset-1)
     local text = App.newText(love.graphics.getFont(), s)
     local text_width = App.width(text)
-    love.graphics.setColor(0.7,0.7,0.9)
+    App.color(Highlight_color)
     love.graphics.rectangle('fill', x+lo_px,y, text_width,Line_height)
-    love.graphics.setColor(0,0,0)
+    App.color(Text_color)
     return lo_px
   end
 end
diff --git a/text.lua b/text.lua
index 9926269..c61a488 100644
--- a/text.lua
+++ b/text.lua
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ require 'text_tests'
 --  position of start of final screen line drawn
 function Text.draw(line, line_index, top, left, right)
 --?   print('text.draw', line_index)
-  love.graphics.setColor(0,0,0)
+  App.color(Text_color)
   -- wrap long lines
   local x = left
   local y = top
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ function Text.draw(line, line_index, top, left, right)
         if Search_term then
           if Lines[Cursor1.line].data:sub(Cursor1.pos, Cursor1.pos+utf8.len(Search_term)-1) == Search_term then
             local lo_px = Text.draw_highlight(line, x,y, pos, Cursor1.pos, Cursor1.pos+utf8.len(Search_term))
-            love.graphics.setColor(0,0,0)
+            App.color(Text_color)
             love.graphics.print(Search_term, x+lo_px,y)
           end
         else
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ end
 function Text.draw_cursor(x, y)
   -- blink every 0.5s
   if math.floor(Cursor_time*2)%2 == 0 then
-    love.graphics.setColor(1,0,0)
+    App.color(Cursor_color)
     love.graphics.rectangle('fill', x,y, 3,Line_height)
-    love.graphics.setColor(0,0,0)
+    App.color(Text_color)
   end
   Cursor_x = x
   Cursor_y = y+Line_height