diff --git a/viewer/widgets/JFJochPixelOverlayClass.cpp b/viewer/widgets/JFJochPixelOverlayClass.cpp
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+++ b/viewer/widgets/JFJochPixelOverlayClass.cpp
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+//
+// Created by jungfrau on 11/7/25.
+//
+
+#include "JFJochPixelOverlayClass.h"
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diff --git a/viewer/widgets/JFJochPixelOverlayClass.h b/viewer/widgets/JFJochPixelOverlayClass.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8dc5f1a0
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+++ b/viewer/widgets/JFJochPixelOverlayClass.h
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+//
+// Created by jungfrau on 11/7/25.
+//
+
+#ifndef JFJOCH_JFJOCHPIXELOVERLAYCLASS_H
+#define JFJOCH_JFJOCHPIXELOVERLAYCLASS_H
+
+
+#include <QGraphicsItem>
+#include <QPainter>
+#include <QStaticText>
+#include <QHash>
+#include <QFont>
+
+static constexpr int32_t SATURATED_PXL_VALUE = 0x7FFFFFFF; // adjust to your constants
+static constexpr int32_t GAP_PXL_VALUE       = 0x7FFFFFFE;
+static constexpr int32_t ERROR_PXL_VALUE     = 0x7FFFFFFD;
+
+inline qreal luminance(QRgb c) {
+    // sRGB luma approximation
+    return 0.2126 * qRed(c) + 0.7152 * qGreen(c) + 0.0722 * qBlue(c);
+}
+
+class PixelTextOverlayItem : public QGraphicsItem {
+public:
+    PixelTextOverlayItem(const int32_t* values, const QRgb* rgb, int width, int height)
+        : m_values(values), m_rgb(rgb), m_w(width), m_h(height) {
+        setFlag(ItemUsesExtendedStyleOption, true);
+
+        // Choose a legible monospaced font; adjust as needed
+        m_font.setFamily("DejaVu Sans Mono");
+        m_font.setStyleHint(QFont::TypeWriter);
+        m_font.setPixelSize(10); // base size; tune with zoom externally if desired
+    }
+
+    // Item covers the whole image in item coordinates
+    QRectF boundingRect() const override {
+        return QRectF(0, 0, m_w, m_h);
+    }
+
+    // Call when viewport/zoom changes
+    void setView(int startX, int startY, int endX, int endY, double scaleFactor) {
+        m_sx = std::clamp(startX, 0, m_w);
+        m_sy = std::clamp(startY, 0, m_h);
+        m_ex = std::clamp(endX,   0, m_w);
+        m_ey = std::clamp(endY,   0, m_h);
+        m_scale = scaleFactor;
+        update();
+    }
+
+    // Optional: keep text a constant on-screen size by adjusting pixel size with zoom
+    void setFontPixelSize(int px) {
+        if (px <= 0) return;
+        if (m_font.pixelSize() != px) {
+            m_font.setPixelSize(px);
+            m_staticCache.clear(); // font size change invalidates cached layout
+            update();
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Optional: tweak font or color policy externally
+    void setFont(const QFont& f) {
+        m_font = f;
+        m_staticCache.clear();
+        update();
+    }
+
+    void setMinScaleToShow(double s) { m_minScale = s; }
+
+protected:
+    void paint(QPainter* p, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem*, QWidget*) override {
+        if (!m_values || !m_rgb) return;
+
+        // Gate: only draw when zoomed in enough and area small enough
+        const int w = m_ex - m_sx;
+        const int h = m_ey - m_sy;
+        if (m_scale < m_minScale || w <= 0 || h <= 0) return;
+        if (1LL * w * h > 500) return; // keep fast; same idea as your original guard
+
+        p->setRenderHint(QPainter::TextAntialiasing, false);
+        p->setFont(m_font);
+
+        for (int y = m_sy; y < m_ey; ++y) {
+            const int rowOff = y * m_w;
+            for (int x = m_sx; x < m_ex; ++x) {
+                const int idx = rowOff + x;
+                const int32_t v = m_values[idx];
+
+                const QString& label = toLabel(v);
+                const QStaticText& st = cachedStaticText(label);
+
+                // Contrast-aware text color
+                const qreal lum = luminance(m_rgb[idx]);
+                p->setPen(lum > 128.0 ? Qt::black : Qt::white);
+
+                // Offsets so text sits within/near the pixel; tune as you like
+                // If you want exact pixel center, use QPointF(x + 0.5, y + 0.5) and align text.
+                p->drawStaticText(QPointF(x - 0.7, y - 0.8), st);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+private:
+    const QString& toLabel(int32_t v) {
+        if (v == SATURATED_PXL_VALUE) return m_cachedSat;
+        if (v == GAP_PXL_VALUE)       return m_cachedGap;
+        if (v == ERROR_PXL_VALUE)     return m_cachedErr;
+
+        // Cache numeric strings by value to avoid reformatting
+        auto it = m_valueToString.find(v);
+        if (it != m_valueToString.end()) return it.value();
+        return m_valueToString.insert(v, QString::number(v)).value();
+    }
+
+    const QStaticText& cachedStaticText(const QString& s) {
+        auto it = m_staticCache.find(s);
+        if (it != m_staticCache.end()) return it.value();
+
+        QStaticText st(s);
+        st.setTextFormat(Qt::PlainText);
+        st.setPerformanceHint(QStaticText::AggressiveCaching);
+        // No width wrapping; tiny labels
+        st.setTextWidth(-1);
+        return m_staticCache.insert(s, st).value();
+    }
+
+    const int32_t* m_values = nullptr; // image values (x + y*w)
+    const QRgb*    m_rgb    = nullptr; // RGB image for luminance
+    int m_w = 0, m_h = 0;
+
+    int m_sx = 0, m_sy = 0, m_ex = 0, m_ey = 0;
+    double m_scale = 1.0;
+    double m_minScale = 20.0; // match your logic
+
+    QFont m_font;
+
+    // Caches
+    QHash<int32_t, QString> m_valueToString;
+    QHash<QString, QStaticText> m_staticCache;
+    const QString m_cachedSat = QStringLiteral("Sat");
+    const QString m_cachedGap = QStringLiteral("Gap");
+    const QString m_cachedErr = QStringLiteral("Err");
+};
+
+
+
+#endif //JFJOCH_JFJOCHPIXELOVERLAYCLASS_H
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