diff --git a/crates/fonts-build/src/tests.rs b/crates/fonts-build/src/tests.rs
--- a/crates/fonts-build/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/fonts-build/src/tests.rs
@@ -376,7 +376,10 @@ fn for_ui_embeds_cjk_faces_only_as_cut_interface_faces() {
     assert_eq!(warnings(&r), Vec::<String>::new());
     let r = run(Embed::documents(&["Noto Sans TC UI", "Noto Sans TC"]), Some(&dir), Some("1"));
     assert_eq!(r.result.as_ref().unwrap(), &["Noto Sans TC Regular", "Noto Sans TC UI Regular"]);
-    assert!(r.table.contains("fonts/1.ttf"), "{}", r.table);
+    // Generated Rust escapes native separators (and Windows' canonical path prefix).
+    // Match the selected file's complete include expression on every platform.
+    let interface_face = dir.join("fonts/1.ttf").canonicalize().unwrap();
+    assert!(r.table.contains(&format!("include_bytes!({interface_face:?})")), "{}", r.table);
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/crates/ui/docs/frosted-backdrops.md b/crates/ui/docs/frosted-backdrops.md
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/ui/docs/frosted-backdrops.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Frosted ribbon and panel backdrops
+
+`craft_ui::backdrop` extracts the CPU sampling and blur from
+[WordCraft #4019](https://github.com/storytold/wordcraft/pull/4019). It can serve ribbons, rulers,
+floating palettes and inspectors without depending on a page renderer or an app's theme.
+
+1. Capture the contributing content in the host. Build `Thumbnail::from_image` when its pixels
+   change; select a block size appropriate to capture resolution (WordCraft uses about four
+   logical points per cell).
+2. Supply `BackdropLayer`s in screen coordinates and call `compose` for the covered area.
+   Layers without captures use their fallback color, so first-frame rendering remains defined.
+3. Keep a `BackdropTexture` per region/context and upload the composed image. Paint its full
+   UV rectangle behind controls using normal egui clipping and apply a caller-chosen tint.
+
+The output uses bilinear thumbnail samples and three separable box-blur passes (five cells
+sideways/two vertically), intended for soft UI glass, not photographic filtering. Capture pixels
+are premultiplied; they composite over the supplied paper's opaque RGB. Output is opaque and
+the host's overlaid tint supplies translucency. No brightness threshold or dark/light alpha is
+hard-coded. Choose tint for text contrast and provide an opaque fallback when transparency is off.
+
+Inputs are validated before multiplication/allocation. Source images are capped at 16,777,216
+pixels, thumbnails/output at 262,144 texels, output and uploaded texture sides at 1024. A long,
+thin upload is rejected even when its total pixel count fits; the existing cache is preserved.
+Invalid captures/areas return
+`None`; invalid layer rectangles are ignored. Identical texture images skip uploads. Distinct
+windows/contexts use distinct cache instances; dropping one releases its texture.
+
+The host owns capture and invalidation, including changes while transparency is off. When the
+effect is re-enabled, backfill missing/stale captures before using them. Keep captures out of
+the composition being captured to avoid feedback. Consumer adoption and GPU framebuffer capture
+are separate work; this module adds no renderer callback, global UI flag or document dependency.
diff --git a/crates/ui/src/backdrop.rs b/crates/ui/src/backdrop.rs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/ui/src/backdrop.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,255 @@
+//! Bounded CPU frosted backdrops from caller-supplied images, independent of document rendering.
+//!
+//! Applications own capture, layout, invalidation, tint/contrast, reduced-transparency preference
+//! and texture lifetime. These helpers neither read a framebuffer nor install a renderer callback.
+
+use egui::{Color32, ColorImage, Context, Rect, TextureHandle, TextureOptions, pos2};
+
+const MAX_SOURCE_PIXELS: usize = 16_777_216;
+const MAX_TEXELS: usize = 262_144;
+const MAX_SIDE: usize = 1024;
+
+/// An averaged, opaque thumbnail of a captured surface. Pixels are stored in sRGB byte space,
+/// matching the original UI effect rather than a color-managed photographic Gaussian blur.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct Thumbnail {
+    width: usize,
+    height: usize,
+    pixels: Vec<[f32; 3]>,
+}
+
+impl Thumbnail {
+    /// Average `block`-pixel squares, compositing premultiplied input over `paper`. The paper's
+    /// unmultiplied RGB is treated as opaque. Zero block means one. Empty/malformed images,
+    /// source images over 16,777,216 pixels or thumbnails over 262,144 texels return `None`.
+    pub fn from_image(image: &ColorImage, block: usize, paper: Color32) -> Option<Self> {
+        if !valid_image(image, MAX_SOURCE_PIXELS) {
+            return None;
+        }
+        let block = block.max(1);
+        let [iw, ih] = image.size;
+        let (width, height) = (iw.div_ceil(block), ih.div_ceil(block));
+        let count = width.checked_mul(height).filter(|&n| n <= MAX_TEXELS)?;
+        let paper = opaque_rgb(paper);
+        let mut pixels = Vec::with_capacity(count);
+        for ty in 0..height {
+            for tx in 0..width {
+                let mut sum = [0.0; 3];
+                let mut n = 0.0_f32;
+                for y in ty * block..(ty * block).saturating_add(block).min(ih) {
+                    for x in tx * block..(tx * block).saturating_add(block).min(iw) {
+                        let color = image.pixels.get(y * iw + x).copied().unwrap_or(Color32::TRANSPARENT);
+                        let missing = 1.0 - f32::from(color.a()) / 255.0;
+                        for (channel, value) in sum.iter_mut().enumerate() {
+                            *value += f32::from(color.to_array()[channel]) + paper[channel] * missing;
+                        }
+                        n += 1.0;
+                    }
+                }
+                pixels.push(sum.map(|value| value / n.max(1.0)));
+            }
+        }
+        Some(Self { width, height, pixels })
+    }
+
+    fn sample(&self, u: f32, v: f32) -> [f32; 3] {
+        let x = (u * self.width as f32 - 0.5).clamp(0.0, (self.width - 1) as f32);
+        let y = (v * self.height as f32 - 0.5).clamp(0.0, (self.height - 1) as f32);
+        let (x0, y0) = (x as usize, y as usize);
+        let (x1, y1) = ((x0 + 1).min(self.width - 1), (y0 + 1).min(self.height - 1));
+        let at = |x, y| self.pixels.get(y * self.width + x).copied().unwrap_or([0.0; 3]);
+        let (a, b, c, d) = (at(x0, y0), at(x1, y0), at(x0, y1), at(x1, y1));
+        let (tx, ty) = (x - x0 as f32, y - y0 as f32);
+        std::array::from_fn(|i| (a[i] * (1.0 - tx) + b[i] * tx) * (1.0 - ty) + (c[i] * (1.0 - tx) + d[i] * tx) * ty)
+    }
+}
+
+/// One captured surface in caller-chosen screen coordinates. Later layers cover earlier ones.
+/// Missing thumbnails use opaque `fallback` RGB, allowing first-frame/capture-off fallback.
+pub struct BackdropLayer<'a> {
+    pub rect: Rect,
+    pub thumbnail: Option<&'a Thumbnail>,
+    pub fallback: Color32,
+}
+
+/// Sample the layers into a small opaque image and soften it with three box passes per axis
+/// (five cells sideways, two vertically). Cells are about four logical points, at most 1024
+/// per side and 262,144 in total. Linear texture filtering supplies the final upsampling.
+///
+/// Invalid/empty/excessive areas return `None`; invalid layer rectangles are skipped. The
+/// background and fallback colors use opaque unmultiplied RGB. Layer count and capture cadence
+/// are caller policy: cache thumbnails and compose only when contributing content/layout changes.
+pub fn compose(area: Rect, layers: &[BackdropLayer<'_>], background: Color32) -> Option<ColorImage> {
+    if !valid_rect(area) {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let width = (area.width() / 4.0).ceil().clamp(1.0, MAX_SIDE as f32) as usize;
+    let height = (area.height() / 4.0).ceil().clamp(1.0, (MAX_TEXELS / width).min(MAX_SIDE) as f32) as usize;
+    let mut pixels = vec![opaque_rgb(background); width * height];
+    for layer in layers.iter().filter(|layer| valid_rect(layer.rect) && layer.rect.intersects(area)) {
+        let fallback = opaque_rgb(layer.fallback);
+        for y in 0..height {
+            for x in 0..width {
+                let at =
+                    pos2(area.left() + (x as f32 + 0.5) * area.width() / width as f32, area.top() + (y as f32 + 0.5) * area.height() / height as f32);
+                if layer.rect.contains(at) {
+                    let (u, v) = ((at.x - layer.rect.left()) / layer.rect.width(), (at.y - layer.rect.top()) / layer.rect.height());
+                    if let Some(pixel) = pixels.get_mut(y * width + x) {
+                        *pixel = layer.thumbnail.map_or(fallback, |thumbnail| thumbnail.sample(u, v));
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    for _ in 0..3 {
+        box_pass(&mut pixels, width, height, true);
+        box_pass(&mut pixels, width, height, false);
+    }
+    let byte = |value: f32| value.round().clamp(0.0, 255.0) as u8;
+    Some(ColorImage::new([width, height], pixels.into_iter().map(|p| Color32::from_rgb(byte(p[0]), byte(p[1]), byte(p[2]))).collect()))
+}
+
+fn box_pass(pixels: &mut [[f32; 3]], width: usize, height: usize, horizontal: bool) {
+    let (lines, length, radius) = if horizontal { (height, width, 5) } else { (width, height, 2) };
+    let at = |line: usize, cell: usize| if horizontal { line * width + cell } else { cell * width + line };
+    let divisor = (2 * radius + 1) as f32;
+    for line in 0..lines {
+        let source: Vec<_> = (0..length).map(|cell| pixels.get(at(line, cell)).copied().unwrap_or([0.0; 3])).collect();
+        for cell in 0..length {
+            let mut sum = [0.0; 3];
+            for offset in 0..=2 * radius {
+                let value = source.get((cell + offset).saturating_sub(radius).min(length - 1)).copied().unwrap_or([0.0; 3]);
+                for channel in 0..3 {
+                    sum[channel] += value[channel];
+                }
+            }
+            if let Some(pixel) = pixels.get_mut(at(line, cell)) {
+                *pixel = sum.map(|v| v / divisor);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn opaque_rgb(color: Color32) -> [f32; 3] {
+    let [r, g, b, _] = color.to_srgba_unmultiplied();
+    [f32::from(r), f32::from(g), f32::from(b)]
+}
+
+fn valid_rect(rect: Rect) -> bool {
+    rect.is_finite() && rect.width() > 0.0 && rect.height() > 0.0 && rect.size().max_elem() <= 1_000_000.0
+}
+
+fn valid_image(image: &ColorImage, limit: usize) -> bool {
+    let [w, h] = image.size;
+    w > 0 && h > 0 && w.checked_mul(h).is_some_and(|n| n <= limit && n == image.pixels.len())
+}
+
+/// An explicitly owned texture cache. Keep one per backdrop and egui context. Identical images
+/// do not upload again; changed images update the same texture. Dropping this releases it.
+#[derive(Default)]
+pub struct BackdropTexture {
+    texture: Option<TextureHandle>,
+    image: Option<ColorImage>,
+}
+
+impl BackdropTexture {
+    /// Upload a bounded valid image using linear filtering. Invalid images return `None` without
+    /// replacing the cache. Use a distinct cache per context; texture IDs belong to that context.
+    pub fn update(&mut self, ctx: &Context, name: &str, image: ColorImage) -> Option<egui::TextureId> {
+        if !valid_image(&image, MAX_TEXELS) || image.size.iter().any(|&side| side > MAX_SIDE) {
+            return None;
+        }
+        if self.image.as_ref() != Some(&image) {
+            if let Some(texture) = self.texture.as_mut() {
+                texture.set(image.clone(), TextureOptions::LINEAR);
+            } else {
+                self.texture = Some(ctx.load_texture(name, image.clone(), TextureOptions::LINEAR));
+            }
+            self.image = Some(image);
+        }
+        self.texture.as_ref().map(TextureHandle::id)
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    fn area() -> Rect {
+        Rect::from_min_size(egui::Pos2::ZERO, egui::vec2(40.0, 20.0))
+    }
+    #[test]
+    fn transparent_capture_composites_over_paper_and_missing_capture_uses_fallback() {
+        let image = ColorImage::new([2, 2], vec![Color32::TRANSPARENT; 4]);
+        let thumbnail = Thumbnail::from_image(&image, 2, Color32::RED);
+        assert!(thumbnail.is_some());
+        let layers = [BackdropLayer { rect: area(), thumbnail: thumbnail.as_ref(), fallback: Color32::BLUE }];
+        let image = compose(area(), &layers, Color32::GREEN);
+        assert!(image.as_ref().is_some_and(|image| image.pixels.iter().all(|p| *p == Color32::RED)));
+        let layers = [BackdropLayer { rect: area(), thumbnail: None, fallback: Color32::BLUE }];
+        let image = compose(area(), &layers, Color32::GREEN);
+        assert!(image.as_ref().is_some_and(|image| image.pixels.iter().all(|p| *p == Color32::BLUE)));
+    }
+    #[test]
+    fn downsampling_and_softening_mix_neighbours_without_changing_opaque_output() {
+        let image = ColorImage::new([2, 1], vec![Color32::BLACK, Color32::WHITE]);
+        let thumbnail = Thumbnail::from_image(&image, 1, Color32::WHITE);
+        let layers = [BackdropLayer { rect: area(), thumbnail: thumbnail.as_ref(), fallback: Color32::RED }];
+        let image = compose(area(), &layers, Color32::GREEN);
+        assert!(image.as_ref().is_some_and(|image| image.pixels.iter().all(|p| p.a() == 255 && p.r() > 0 && p.r() < 255)));
+    }
+    #[test]
+    fn malformed_dimensions_empty_images_and_large_allocations_are_bounded() {
+        let malformed = ColorImage { size: [usize::MAX, 2], pixels: vec![], source_size: egui::Vec2::ZERO };
+        assert!(Thumbnail::from_image(&malformed, usize::MAX, Color32::WHITE).is_none());
+        assert!(Thumbnail::from_image(&ColorImage::new([0, 0], vec![]), 0, Color32::WHITE).is_none());
+        assert!(compose(Rect::NAN, &[], Color32::WHITE).is_none());
+        assert!(compose(Rect::NOTHING, &[], Color32::WHITE).is_none());
+        let large = Rect::from_min_size(egui::Pos2::ZERO, egui::vec2(1_000_000.0, 1_000_000.0));
+        let image = compose(large, &[], Color32::WHITE);
+        assert!(image.as_ref().is_some_and(|image| image.pixels.len() <= MAX_TEXELS && image.size.iter().all(|&side| side <= MAX_SIDE)));
+    }
+    #[test]
+    fn texture_cache_updates_changed_content_but_skips_identical_uploads() {
+        let ctx = Context::default();
+        let mut cache = BackdropTexture::default();
+        let image = ColorImage::new([1, 1], vec![Color32::RED]);
+        let mut first_id = None;
+        let out = ctx.run_ui(egui::RawInput::default(), |_| {
+            first_id = cache.update(&ctx, "backdrop", image.clone());
+        });
+        assert!(first_id.is_some());
+        assert!(out.textures_delta.set.iter().any(|(id, _)| Some(*id) == first_id));
+        out.drop_without_applying_deltas();
+        let out = ctx.run_ui(egui::RawInput::default(), |_| {
+            assert_eq!(cache.update(&ctx, "backdrop", image.clone()), first_id);
+        });
+        assert!(out.textures_delta.set.iter().all(|(id, _)| Some(*id) != first_id));
+        out.drop_without_applying_deltas();
+        let out = ctx.run_ui(egui::RawInput::default(), |_| {
+            assert_eq!(cache.update(&ctx, "backdrop", ColorImage::new([1, 1], vec![Color32::BLUE])), first_id);
+        });
+        assert_eq!(out.textures_delta.set.iter().filter(|(id, _)| Some(**id) == first_id).count(), 1);
+        out.drop_without_applying_deltas();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn texture_upload_rejects_long_thin_images_without_replacing_the_cache() {
+        let ctx = Context::default();
+        let mut cache = BackdropTexture::default();
+        let image = ColorImage::new([1, 1], vec![Color32::RED]);
+        let mut kept = None;
+        ctx.run_ui(egui::RawInput::default(), |_| {
+            kept = cache.update(&ctx, "bounded", image.clone());
+        })
+        .drop_without_applying_deltas();
+        assert!(kept.is_some());
+        for size in [[MAX_SIDE + 1, 1], [1, MAX_SIDE + 1]] {
+            let out = ctx.run_ui(egui::RawInput::default(), |_| {
+                assert!(cache.update(&ctx, "bounded", ColorImage::new(size, vec![Color32::BLUE; size[0] * size[1]])).is_none());
+                assert_eq!(cache.update(&ctx, "bounded", image.clone()), kept);
+            });
+            assert!(out.textures_delta.set.iter().all(|(id, _)| Some(*id) != kept));
+            out.drop_without_applying_deltas();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/ui/src/lib.rs b/crates/ui/src/lib.rs
--- a/crates/ui/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/ui/src/lib.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 //! Applications own their assets, themes, layouts, commands and document semantics. Components
 //! accept focused style values and return egui responses; no application engine is required.
 
+pub mod backdrop;
 pub mod buttons;
 pub mod docking;
 pub mod icons;
