diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/midnight-history.png b/docs/palette-previews/midnight-history.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85f1132
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/midnight-new.png b/docs/palette-previews/midnight-new.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45deb48
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/midnight-paste.png b/docs/palette-previews/midnight-paste.png
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index 0000000..d41946c
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/pastel-cloud-history.png b/docs/palette-previews/pastel-cloud-history.png
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index 0000000..3e9fa8b
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new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41e8c6d
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/pastel-cloud-paste.png b/docs/palette-previews/pastel-cloud-paste.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..575a12e
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/pastel-lavender-history.png b/docs/palette-previews/pastel-lavender-history.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ddebfa8
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/pastel-lavender-new.png b/docs/palette-previews/pastel-lavender-new.png
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index 0000000..294c1a2
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/pastel-lavender-paste.png b/docs/palette-previews/pastel-lavender-paste.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc96d9e
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/pastel-peach-history.png b/docs/palette-previews/pastel-peach-history.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fef8b31
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/pastel-peach-new.png b/docs/palette-previews/pastel-peach-new.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0896419
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/pastel-peach-paste.png b/docs/palette-previews/pastel-peach-paste.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb0c002
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/smooth-history.png b/docs/palette-previews/smooth-history.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0389b63
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/smooth-new.png b/docs/palette-previews/smooth-new.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f84f866
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diff --git a/docs/palette-previews/smooth-paste.png b/docs/palette-previews/smooth-paste.png
new file mode 100644
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diff --git a/web/static/app.css b/web/static/app.css
index 44870d3..d948dc4 100644
--- a/web/static/app.css
+++ b/web/static/app.css
@@ -7,10 +7,38 @@
   --font-body: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, sans-serif;
   --font-mono: ui-monospace, "JetBrains Mono", "Fira Code", monospace;
 }
+/* semantic status colors (dark preset values; light presets override below) */
+:root {
+  --ok: #9CD49C; --warn: #E8C77B; --err: #F2A3B3;
+  --on-accent: #241B30; /* text placed on accent-colored backgrounds */
+}
 [data-preset="smooth"] {
   --bg: #F6F5FA; --surface: #FFFFFF; --surface-2: #DAD7E6;
   --muted: #B5B1C9; --muted-fg: #7A7796; --fg: #2A2A36;
   --accent: #7A7796; --border: #DAD7E6;
+  --ok: #456F45; --warn: #7A5E1B; --err: #9E4054;
+  --on-accent: #F6F5FA;
+}
+[data-preset="pastel-lavender"] {
+  --bg: #e6e0f5; --surface: #f1edfa; --surface-2: #cbb8e7;
+  --muted: #a99cc9; --muted-fg: #5f5390; --fg: #3E3059;
+  --accent: #806bb8; --border: #c4b6e0;
+  --ok: #3E6B3E; --warn: #7A5E1B; --err: #9E4054;
+  --on-accent: #f1edfa;
+}
+[data-preset="pastel-peach"] {
+  --bg: #ffe0d6; --surface: #fff0ea; --surface-2: #ffc4a8;
+  --muted: #d9a08c; --muted-fg: #7a4632; --fg: #4F2318;
+  --accent: #f9826c; --border: #ffc9b5;
+  --ok: #3E6B3E; --warn: #7A5E1B; --err: #9E4054;
+  --on-accent: #4F2318;
+}
+[data-preset="pastel-cloud"] {
+  --bg: #fff0f6; --surface: #fff7fb; --surface-2: #ffc8dd;
+  --muted: #d9b9c9; --muted-fg: #7d5670; --fg: #4A3355;
+  --accent: #a2d2ff; --border: #ffccd9;
+  --ok: #3E6B3E; --warn: #7A5E1B; --err: #9E4054;
+  --on-accent: #274a6b;
 }
 
 * { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; }
@@ -243,6 +271,9 @@ td a.slug:hover { color: var(--accent); }
   box-shadow: 0 4px 16px rgba(0,0,0,.25);
 }
 .toast.show { opacity: 1; transform: translateX(-50%) translateY(0); }
+/* status variants (#16) */
+.toast.success { border-color: var(--ok); color: var(--ok); }
+.toast.error { border-color: var(--err); color: var(--err); }
 
 /* protection section rhythm (#20) */
 .protect { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 2px; }
diff --git a/web/templates/layout.html b/web/templates/layout.html
index 3bc7385..e1d07ea 100644
--- a/web/templates/layout.html
+++ b/web/templates/layout.html
@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@
 <meta charset="utf-8">
 <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
 <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/app.css">
+<script>
+// preset preview hook (#16): ?theme=<name> sets data-preset for screenshots only
+(function () {
+  var t = new URLSearchParams(location.search).get('theme');
+  if (t) document.documentElement.dataset.preset = t;
+})();
+</script>
 {{end}}
 
 {{define "topbar"}}
diff --git a/web/templates/new.html b/web/templates/new.html
index 6db5a3b..1862108 100644
--- a/web/templates/new.html
+++ b/web/templates/new.html
@@ -74,10 +74,13 @@ function updateGutter() {
 content.addEventListener('input', updateGutter);
 updateGutter();
 
-function toast(msg) {
+function toast(msg, kind) {
   let t = document.querySelector('.toast');
   if (!t) { t = document.createElement('div'); t.className = 'toast'; document.body.appendChild(t); }
   t.textContent = msg;
+  t.classList.remove('success', 'error');
+  if (kind === 'success') t.classList.add('success');
+  if (kind === 'error') t.classList.add('error');
   t.classList.add('show');
   clearTimeout(t._h);
   t._h = setTimeout(() => t.classList.remove('show'), 2000);
@@ -162,12 +165,13 @@ async function create() {
   const data = await res.json();
   if (!res.ok) {
     showResult('Error: ' + (data.error || res.status), true);
+    toast('Create failed', 'error');
     return;
   }
   const url = location.origin + '/' + (data.custom_slug || data.id);
   showResult('<a href="' + url + '">' + url + '</a>', false);
   $('result').dataset.token = data.deletion_token || '';
-  try { navigator.clipboard.writeText(url); toast('Copied'); } catch(e) {}
+  try { navigator.clipboard.writeText(url); toast('Copied', 'success'); } catch(e) {}
   const dest = '/' + data.id + '?created=1&token=' + encodeURIComponent(data.deletion_token || '');
   // password-protected: unlock now with the password we already have (#26)
   if ($('haspw').checked && data.id) {