diff --git a/assets/opensb/interface.config.patch b/assets/opensb/interface.config.patch
index 47076b2..e1ee5b7 100644
--- a/assets/opensb/interface.config.patch
+++ b/assets/opensb/interface.config.patch
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@
   },
   "nametag" : {
     "showMasterNames" : true,
-    // border is double here as it otherwise fades out near the end
+    // outline is double here as it otherwise fades out near the end
     // (could just the end to opaque too, but then diagonals are more jaggy)
-    "textStyle" : { "backDirectives" : "border=1;222;2224?border=1;222;2224" },
+    "textStyle" : { "backDirectives" : "border=1;fff;fff4?border=1;fff;fff4?multiply=222" },
     "inspectOpacityRate" : 0.15,
     "movementThreshold" : 0.5,
     "offset" : [0, 13]
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
   "paneTextStyle" : {},
   "textBoxTextStyle" : {},
   "itemSlotTextStyle" : {
-    "backDirectives" : "border=1;444;4444"
+    "backDirectives" : "border=1;fff;fff4?multiply=444"
   },
   "teamBarNameStyle" : {},
   "cursorTooltip" : { "textStyle" : {} },
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
   "debugTextStyle" : {
     "font" : "iosevka-semibold",
     "fontSize" : 7,
-    "backDirectives" : "border=1;333a;3334"
+    "backDirectives" : "border=1;fff;fff7?multiply=333a"
   },
   "debugSpatialClearTime" : 0.0,
   "debugOffset" : [80, 130],
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
   // Change planet name to support the new internal string formatting.
   "planetNameFormatString" : "- {} -",
   "planetTextStyle" : {
-    "backDirectives" : "border=6;000;000",
+    "backDirectives" : "border=5;fff;fff?border=1;fff;fff7?multiply=000",
     "fontSize" : 24
   },
 
diff --git a/assets/opensb/interface/chat/chat.config.patch b/assets/opensb/interface/chat/chat.config.patch
index afdc3f8..77ce454 100644
--- a/assets/opensb/interface/chat/chat.config.patch
+++ b/assets/opensb/interface/chat/chat.config.patch
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
   "config" : {
     "lineHeight" : 1,
     "padding" : [1, 1],
-    "textStyle" : { "backDirectives" : "border=1;111a;1117" },
-    "chatFormatString" : "^backdirectives=border=1=333=3337;<^backdirectives=border=1=333=3330?border=1=333=3337,white;{}^reset,backdirectives=border=1=333=3337;>^reset,#eee; {}",
+    "textStyle" : { "backDirectives" : "border=1;fff;fff7?multiply=111a" },
+    "chatFormatString" : "^backdirectives=border=1=fff=fff7?multiply=333;<^backdirectives=border=1=fff=fff0?border=1=fff=fff7?multiply=333,white;{}^reset,backdirectives=border=1=fff=fff7?multiply=333;>^reset,#eee; {}",
     "colors" : {
       "local" : "^white;",
       "party" : "^blue;",
diff --git a/assets/opensb/interface/windowconfig/chatbubbles.config.patch b/assets/opensb/interface/windowconfig/chatbubbles.config.patch
index c1773f6..a402a14 100644
--- a/assets/opensb/interface/windowconfig/chatbubbles.config.patch
+++ b/assets/opensb/interface/windowconfig/chatbubbles.config.patch
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
  "movementThreshold" : 0.5,
  "bubbleOffset" : [0, 1.875],
- "textStyle" : { "backDirectives" : "?border=1;111;1110?border=1;111;1117" }
+ "textStyle" : { "backDirectives" : "border=1;fff;fff0?border=1;fff;fff7?multiply=111" }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source/core/StarDirectives.cpp b/source/core/StarDirectives.cpp
index 89985a0..b995b37 100644
--- a/source/core/StarDirectives.cpp
+++ b/source/core/StarDirectives.cpp
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ void Directives::parse(String&& directives) {
         }
         catch (StarException const& e) {
           prefix = split;
-          return;
+          entries.emplace_back(ImageOperation(ErrorImageOperation{std::current_exception()}), beg, end);
         }
       }
       else {
diff --git a/source/rendering/StarFontTextureGroup.cpp b/source/rendering/StarFontTextureGroup.cpp
index 5f0cdbc..cdc667a 100644
--- a/source/rendering/StarFontTextureGroup.cpp
+++ b/source/rendering/StarFontTextureGroup.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "StarFontTextureGroup.hpp"
 #include "StarTime.hpp"
 #include "StarImageProcessing.hpp"
+#include "StarLogging.hpp"
 
 namespace Star {
 
@@ -58,23 +59,30 @@ const FontTextureGroup::GlyphTexture& FontTextureGroup::glyphTexture(String::Cha
     auto renderResult = font->render(c);
     Image& image = get<0>(renderResult);
     if (processingDirectives) {
-      try {
-        Directives const& directives = *processingDirectives;
-        Vec2F preSize = Vec2F(image.size());
+      Directives const& directives = *processingDirectives;
+      Vec2F preSize = Vec2F(image.size());
 
-        for (auto& entry : directives->entries)
+      for (auto& entry : directives->entries) {
+        if (auto error = entry.operation.ptr<ErrorImageOperation>()) {
+          if (error->exception) {
+            try
+              { std::rethrow_exception(error->exception); }
+            catch (std::exception const& e)
+              { Logger::error("Exception parsing font directives: {}", e.what()); }
+            error->exception = {};
+          }
+          image.forEachPixel([](unsigned x, unsigned y, Vec4B& pixel) {
+            pixel = ((x + y) % 2 == 0) ? Vec4B(255, 0, 255, pixel[3]) : Vec4B(0, 0, 0, pixel[3]);
+          });
+          glyphTexture.colored = true;
+        } else
           processImageOperation(entry.operation, image);
+      }
 
-        glyphTexture.offset = (preSize - Vec2F(image.size())) / 2;
-      }
-      catch (StarException const&) {
-        image.forEachPixel([](unsigned x, unsigned y, Vec4B& pixel) {
-          pixel = ((x + y) % 2 == 0) ? Vec4B(255, 0, 255, pixel[3]) : Vec4B(0, 0, 0, pixel[3]);
-        });
-      }
+      glyphTexture.offset = (preSize - Vec2F(image.size())) / 2;
     }
 
-    glyphTexture.colored = get<2>(renderResult);
+    glyphTexture.colored |= get<2>(renderResult);
     glyphTexture.offset += Vec2F(get<1>(renderResult));
     glyphTexture.texture = m_textureGroup->create(image);
   }