diff --git a/src/components/LessonRunner.tsx b/src/components/LessonRunner.tsx
index fb3fa5f..6579ba4 100644
--- a/src/components/LessonRunner.tsx
+++ b/src/components/LessonRunner.tsx
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ export default function LessonRunner({
     if (!loggedIn) return;
     const c = canvasRef.current;
     if (!c || !hasContent()) return;
-    saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c));
+    saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c, 800, false));
   }
   function scheduleSave() {
     if (!loggedIn) return;
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ export default function LessonRunner({
     redraw();
     force((n) => n + 1);
     const c = canvasRef.current;
-    if (loggedIn && c) saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c));
+    if (loggedIn && c) saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c, 800, false));
   }
   function undo() {
     strokesRef.current.pop();
diff --git a/src/components/ShadingRunner.tsx b/src/components/ShadingRunner.tsx
index d01cf8b..3df5f2c 100644
--- a/src/components/ShadingRunner.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ShadingRunner.tsx
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ export default function ShadingRunner({
     if (!loggedIn) return;
     const c = canvasRef.current;
     if (!c || !hasContent()) return;
-    saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c));
+    saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c, 800, false));
   }
   function scheduleSave() {
     if (!loggedIn) return;
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ export default function ShadingRunner({
     redraw();
     force((n) => n + 1);
     const c = canvasRef.current;
-    if (loggedIn && c) saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c));
+    if (loggedIn && c) saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c, 800, false));
   }
   function undo() { strokesRef.current.pop(); redraw(); force((n) => n + 1); scheduleSave(); }
 
diff --git a/src/components/TraceRunner.tsx b/src/components/TraceRunner.tsx
index e150838..fc81505 100644
--- a/src/components/TraceRunner.tsx
+++ b/src/components/TraceRunner.tsx
@@ -86,14 +86,14 @@ export default function TraceRunner({ meta, steps, loggedIn, username, completed
   useEffect(() => { setPlaying(true); setPlayKey((k) => k + 1); }, [idx]);
 
   function hasContent() { return strokesRef.current.length > 0 || !!baseImgRef.current; }
-  function flushSave() { if (!loggedIn) return; const c = canvasRef.current; if (!c || !hasContent()) return; saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c)); }
+  function flushSave() { if (!loggedIn) return; const c = canvasRef.current; if (!c || !hasContent()) return; saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c, 800, false)); }
   function scheduleSave() { if (!loggedIn) return; clearTimeout(saveTimer.current); saveTimer.current = setTimeout(flushSave, 1200); }
 
   function pe(e: React.PointerEvent): Point { const r = canvasRef.current!.getBoundingClientRect(); return { x: (e.clientX - r.left) / r.width, y: (e.clientY - r.top) / r.height }; }
   function onDown(e: React.PointerEvent) { if (finished) return; (e.target as Element).setPointerCapture?.(e.pointerId); const s: Stroke = { color, size, points: [pe(e)] }; drawingRef.current = s; strokesRef.current.push(s); }
   function onMove(e: React.PointerEvent) { const s = drawingRef.current; if (!s) return; s.points.push(pe(e)); redraw(); }
   function onUp() { drawingRef.current = null; force((n) => n + 1); scheduleSave(); }
-  function clearCanvas() { strokesRef.current = []; baseImgRef.current = null; redraw(); force((n) => n + 1); const c = canvasRef.current; if (loggedIn && c) saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c)); }
+  function clearCanvas() { strokesRef.current = []; baseImgRef.current = null; redraw(); force((n) => n + 1); const c = canvasRef.current; if (loggedIn && c) saveProgressDrawing(meta.level, meta.sublevel, exportCanvasToDataURL(c, 800, false)); }
   function undo() { strokesRef.current.pop(); redraw(); force((n) => n + 1); scheduleSave(); }
 
   async function saveStep(stepN: number, badgeKey?: string) {
diff --git a/src/components/drawingPersistence.ts b/src/components/drawingPersistence.ts
index 3d2fb4e..082399a 100644
--- a/src/components/drawingPersistence.ts
+++ b/src/components/drawingPersistence.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export async function saveFinalDrawing(
 }
 
 /** Composite the (transparent) canvas onto white and downscale, returning a PNG data URL. */
-export function exportCanvasToDataURL(canvas: HTMLCanvasElement, maxW = 800): string {
+export function exportCanvasToDataURL(canvas: HTMLCanvasElement, maxW = 800, white = true): string {
   const scale = Math.min(1, maxW / canvas.width);
   const w = Math.round(canvas.width * scale);
   const h = Math.round(canvas.height * scale);
@@ -50,8 +50,12 @@ export function exportCanvasToDataURL(canvas: HTMLCanvasElement, maxW = 800): st
   out.width = w;
   out.height = h;
   const ctx = out.getContext("2d")!;
-  ctx.fillStyle = "#ffffff";
-  ctx.fillRect(0, 0, w, h);
+  // White background for saved/gallery images; transparent for in-progress canvases that are
+  // restored as a base layer (so the faint guide and the line-by-line video still show through).
+  if (white) {
+    ctx.fillStyle = "#ffffff";
+    ctx.fillRect(0, 0, w, h);
+  }
   ctx.drawImage(canvas, 0, 0, w, h);
   return out.toDataURL("image/png");
 }