diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9a66800..ae93fd6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ __pycache__/
 dist/
 build/
 *.spec
+faststack.egg-info/
 
 # Logs
 *.log
@@ -22,17 +23,15 @@ Thumbs.db
 .vscode/
 .idea/
 
+# Documentation/Generated
 prompt.md
 WARP.md
 AGENTS.md
+ARCHITECTURE.md
+
+# Caches
 faststack/.mypy_cache/
 .mypy_cache/
-var/
-faststack.egg-info/
-
-# Local-only docs
-ARCHITECTURE.md
 
-# Local test/debug outputs
-out.txt
-test_out*.txt
+# Runtime/Data
+var/
diff --git a/faststack/app.py b/faststack/app.py
index e97ff70..a812d30 100644
--- a/faststack/app.py
+++ b/faststack/app.py
@@ -2648,6 +2648,11 @@ def _kick_histogram_worker(self):
             # But histogram is mostly for edits. If preview_data is None, we likely can't compute anyway.
             # We can try to peek at the image editor if _last_rendered_preview is unset.
             preview_data = self.image_editor.get_preview_data_cached(allow_compute=False)
+
+        # Fallback: If still no preview data (e.g. editor not open), use the main image
+        if not preview_data and 0 <= self.current_index < len(self.image_files):
+            # This ensures histogram works even if we haven't opened the editor
+            preview_data = self.get_decoded_image(self.current_index)
         
         # If still no data, we cannot compute the histogram.
         # Ensure we don't drop the request: keep _hist_pending set (it was cleared above, restore it?)
@@ -2826,6 +2831,9 @@ def _apply_preview_result(self, payload):
                     # Ensure QML/provider URL changes so we don't get a cached frame
                     self.ui_refresh_generation += 1
                     self.ui_state.currentImageSourceChanged.emit()
+                    
+                    # Trigger histogram update (always call, let update_histogram handle visibility guards)
+                    self.update_histogram()
             
             # If new requests arrived while we were rendering, start the next one immediately
             if self._preview_pending:
diff --git a/faststack/imaging/cache.py b/faststack/imaging/cache.py
index 75553b3..f37f078 100644
--- a/faststack/imaging/cache.py
+++ b/faststack/imaging/cache.py
@@ -46,6 +46,16 @@ def popitem(self):
         # and we would explicitly free the GPU texture here.
         return key, value
 
+    def clear(self):
+        """Clear cache without triggering eviction callbacks."""
+        # Temporarily disable callback to prevent "thrashing" warnings during mass clear
+        callback = self.on_evict
+        self.on_evict = None
+        try:
+            super().clear()
+        finally:
+            self.on_evict = callback
+
 
 def get_decoded_image_size(item) -> int:
     """Calculates the size of a decoded image tuple (buffer, qimage)."""
diff --git a/faststack/imaging/editor.py b/faststack/imaging/editor.py
index 15dfc62..ddeeac5 100644
--- a/faststack/imaging/editor.py
+++ b/faststack/imaging/editor.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from faststack.models import DecodedImage
 try:
     from PySide6.QtGui import QImage
-except Exception:
+except ImportError:
     QImage = None
 
 import threading
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ def load_image(self, filepath: str, cached_preview: Optional[DecodedImage] = Non
             return False
 
 
-    def _apply_edits(self, img: Image.Image, edits: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, *, for_export: bool = True) -> Image.Image:
+    def _apply_edits(self, img: Image.Image, edits: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, *, for_export: bool = False) -> Image.Image:
         """Applies all current edits to the provided PIL Image."""
         
         if edits is None:
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ def _apply_edits(self, img: Image.Image, edits: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
         if abs(blacks) > 0.001 or abs(whites) > 0.001:
             arr = np.array(img, dtype=np.float32)
             black_point = -blacks * 40
-            white_point = 255 + whites * 40
+            white_point = 255 - whites * 40
             # Prevent division by zero
             if abs(white_point - black_point) < 0.001:
                 white_point = black_point + 0.001
@@ -520,8 +520,8 @@ def auto_levels(self, threshold_percent: float = 0.1) -> Tuple[float, float]:
         blacks = -float(p_low) / 40.0
         
         # We want white_point to be p_high
-        # p_high = 255 + whites * 40 => whites = (float(p_high) - 255) / 40.0
-        whites = (float(p_high) - 255.0) / 40.0
+        # p_high = 255 - whites * 40 => whites = (255.0 - float(p_high)) / 40.0
+        whites = (255.0 - float(p_high)) / 40.0
         
         # Update state
         with self._lock:
diff --git a/faststack/imaging/prefetch.py b/faststack/imaging/prefetch.py
index 722fd71..a43d8c9 100644
--- a/faststack/imaging/prefetch.py
+++ b/faststack/imaging/prefetch.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 try:
     from PySide6.QtCore import QTimer
     from PySide6.QtGui import QImage
-except Exception:
+except ImportError:
     QTimer = None
     QImage = None
 
diff --git a/faststack/logging_setup.py b/faststack/logging_setup.py
index 74356a2..58cad4c 100644
--- a/faststack/logging_setup.py
+++ b/faststack/logging_setup.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def setup_logging(debug: bool = False):
     """Sets up logging to a rotating file in the app data directory.
     
     Args:
-        debug: If True, sets log level to DEBUG. Otherwise, sets to INFO to reduce noise.
+        debug: If True, sets log level to DEBUG. Otherwise, sets to WARNING to reduce noise.
     """
     log_dir = get_app_data_dir() / "logs"
     log_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
diff --git a/faststack/qml/ImageEditorDialog.qml b/faststack/qml/ImageEditorDialog.qml
index 75b7fa0..0ec7880 100644
--- a/faststack/qml/ImageEditorDialog.qml
+++ b/faststack/qml/ImageEditorDialog.qml
@@ -449,6 +449,8 @@ Window {
                              controller.set_edit_parameter(model.key, 0.0)
                              imageEditorDialog.updatePulse++
                              value = 0.0
+                             _pendingValue = 0.0
+                             slider._lastSentValue = 0.0
                         }
                         lastPressTime = now
                         lastPressValue = value
diff --git a/faststack/qml/Main.qml b/faststack/qml/Main.qml
index 73f86fe..95dd106 100644
--- a/faststack/qml/Main.qml
+++ b/faststack/qml/Main.qml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ ApplicationWindow {
     Material.accent: "#4fb360"
 
     property bool isDarkTheme: uiState ? uiState.theme === 0 : true
-    property color currentBackgroundColor: isDarkTheme ? "#2b2b2b" : "#ffffff"
+    property color currentBackgroundColor: isDarkTheme ? "#000000" : "#ffffff"
     property color currentTextColor: isDarkTheme ? "white" : "black"
     property color hoverColor: isDarkTheme ? Qt.lighter(currentBackgroundColor, 1.5) : Qt.darker(currentBackgroundColor, 1.1)
 
diff --git a/faststack/tests/test_new_features.py b/faststack/tests/test_new_features.py
index dc6be7d..a2ddcc3 100644
--- a/faststack/tests/test_new_features.py
+++ b/faststack/tests/test_new_features.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def test_auto_levels_strength(self):
         self.assertNotEqual(blacks, 0.0)
         self.assertNotEqual(whites, 0.0)
         self.assertLess(blacks, 0.0)
-        self.assertLess(whites, 0.0)
+        self.assertGreater(whites, 0.0)
         
         # Mock strength application matching app.py logic
         strength = 0.5
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def test_straighten_angle(self):
         self.editor.current_edits['straighten_angle'] = 45.0
         
         # Apply
-        res = self.editor._apply_edits(self.img.copy())
+        res = self.editor._apply_edits(self.img.copy(), for_export=True)
         
         # Image should be rotated and larger (expand=True)
         # Original width 256. 45 deg rotation of valid rect makes it wider?
diff --git a/faststack/tests/test_sidecar.py b/faststack/tests/test_sidecar.py
index 901551c..ea2862d 100644
--- a/faststack/tests/test_sidecar.py
+++ b/faststack/tests/test_sidecar.py
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ def test_sidecar_load_existing(mock_sidecar_dir):
     d = mock_sidecar_dir(content)
     sm = SidecarManager(d, None)
 
-    assert sm.data.last_index == 42
-    assert len(sm.data.entries) == 2
     assert sm.data.last_index == 42
     assert len(sm.data.entries) == 2
     
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 62bf411..ad86184 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]
+
 dev = [
     "pytest>=8.0,<9.0",
 ]
@@ -41,6 +42,6 @@ packages = ["faststack"]
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
 testpaths = ["faststack/tests"]
 python_files = ["test_*.py"]
-addopts = "-p no:cacheprovider -p no:doctest"
+addopts = "-p no:cacheprovider -p no:doctest --basetemp=./var/pytest-temp"
 norecursedirs = ["var", ".venv", "cache", "faststack.egg-info", "__pycache__"]
 
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 975c930..4016687 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,3 @@ cachetools==5.*
 watchdog==4.*
 Pillow==10.*      # fallback decode; keep it
 
-
-[project.optional-dependencies]
-gui = ["PySide6>=6.0,<7.0"]
-dev = ["pytest>=8.0,<9.0"]
diff --git a/tools/reproduce_issue.py b/tools/reproduce_issue.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 899b7a3..0000000
--- a/tools/reproduce_issue.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-
-import logging
-import sys
-import os
-
-# Mock the parts of the app needed for setup_logging
-# We need to make sure we can import faststack modules
-sys.path.append(os.getcwd())
-
-from faststack.logging_setup import setup_logging
-
-def test_logging(debug_mode):
-    print(f"\n--- Testing with debug={debug_mode} ---")
-    # Reset logging
-    root = logging.getLogger()
-    for h in root.handlers[:]:
-        root.removeHandler(h)
-        h.close()
-    
-    setup_logging(debug=debug_mode)
-    
-    logger = logging.getLogger("test_logger")
-    
-    # We want to capture stderr/stdout to check if it printed
-    # But for a simple script run by the agent, just seeing the output is enough
-    # or we can check the effective level
-    
-    effective_level = logger.getEffectiveLevel()
-    print(f"Effective level: {logging.getLevelName(effective_level)}")
-    
-    if logger.isEnabledFor(logging.INFO):
-        print("INFO logs are ENABLED")
-    else:
-        print("INFO logs are DISABLED")
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    print("Reproduction Script Starting...")
-    test_logging(debug_mode=False)
-    test_logging(debug_mode=True)