diff --git a/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditView.cpp b/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditView.cpp
index 9c8936919e..883550d5a7 100644
--- a/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditView.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditView.cpp
@@ -32,9 +32,13 @@ using namespace BPrivate;
 
 StyledEditView::StyledEditView(BRect viewFrame, BRect textBounds,
 	BHandler* handler)
-	: BTextView(viewFrame, "textview", textBounds, 
-		B_FOLLOW_ALL, B_FRAME_EVENTS | B_WILL_DRAW)
-{ 
+	:
+	BTextView(viewFrame, "textview", textBounds,  B_FOLLOW_ALL,
+		B_FRAME_EVENTS | B_WILL_DRAW)
+{
+	SetViewColor(ui_color(B_DOCUMENT_BACKGROUND_COLOR));
+	SetLowColor(ViewColor());
+
 	fMessenger = new BMessenger(handler);
 	fSuppressChanges = false;
 }
@@ -46,6 +50,45 @@ StyledEditView::~StyledEditView()
 }
 
 
+
+void
+StyledEditView::FrameResized(float width, float height)
+{
+	BTextView::FrameResized(width, height);
+
+	if (DoesWordWrap()) {
+		BRect textRect;
+		textRect = Bounds();
+		textRect.OffsetTo(B_ORIGIN);
+		textRect.InsetBy(TEXT_INSET, TEXT_INSET);
+		SetTextRect(textRect);
+	}
+}
+
+
+void
+StyledEditView::DeleteText(int32 start, int32 finish)
+{
+	if (!fSuppressChanges)
+		fMessenger-> SendMessage(TEXT_CHANGED);
+
+	BTextView::DeleteText(start, finish);
+	_UpdateStatus();
+}
+
+
+void
+StyledEditView::InsertText(const char* text, int32 length, int32 offset,
+	const text_run_array* runs)
+{
+	if (!fSuppressChanges)
+		fMessenger->SendMessage(TEXT_CHANGED);
+
+	BTextView::InsertText(text, length, offset, runs);
+	_UpdateStatus();
+}
+
+
 void
 StyledEditView::Select(int32 start, int32 finish)
 {
@@ -174,44 +217,6 @@ StyledEditView::GetEncoding() const
 }
 
 
-void
-StyledEditView::DeleteText(int32 start, int32 finish)
-{
-	if (!fSuppressChanges)
-		fMessenger-> SendMessage(TEXT_CHANGED);
-
-	BTextView::DeleteText(start, finish);
-	_UpdateStatus();
-}
-
-
-void
-StyledEditView::InsertText(const char* text, int32 length, int32 offset,
-	const text_run_array* runs)
-{
-	if (!fSuppressChanges)
-		fMessenger->SendMessage(TEXT_CHANGED);
-
-	BTextView::InsertText(text, length, offset, runs);
-	_UpdateStatus();
-}
-
-
-void
-StyledEditView::FrameResized(float width, float height)
-{
-	BTextView::FrameResized(width, height);
-
-	if (DoesWordWrap()) {
-		BRect textRect;
-		textRect = Bounds();
-		textRect.OffsetTo(B_ORIGIN);
-		textRect.InsetBy(TEXT_INSET, TEXT_INSET);
-		SetTextRect(textRect);
-	}
-}
-
-
 void
 StyledEditView::_UpdateStatus()
 {
@@ -239,4 +244,3 @@ StyledEditView::_UpdateStatus()
 	message->AddString("encoding", fEncoding.String());
 	fMessenger->SendMessage(message);
 }
-
diff --git a/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditView.h b/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditView.h
index 951c0ead39..a61cc77ba2 100644
--- a/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditView.h
+++ b/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditView.h
@@ -14,40 +14,41 @@
 #include <String.h>
 #include <TextView.h>
 
+
 class BFile;
 class BHandler;
 class BMessenger;
 class BPositionIO;
 
-
 class StyledEditView : public BTextView {
-	public:
+public:
 						StyledEditView(BRect viewframe, BRect textframe,
 							BHandler* handler);
-		virtual			~StyledEditView();
+	virtual				~StyledEditView();
 
-		virtual void	Select(int32 start, int32 finish);
-		virtual void	DeleteText(int32 start, int32 finish);
-		virtual void	FrameResized(float width, float height);
-		virtual void	InsertText(const char* text, int32 length, int32 offset,
+	virtual	void		FrameResized(float width, float height);
+	virtual	void		DeleteText(int32 start, int32 finish);
+	virtual	void		InsertText(const char* text, int32 length,
+							int32 offset,
 							const text_run_array* runs = NULL);
+	virtual	void		Select(int32 start, int32 finish);
 
-		void		Reset();
-		void		SetSuppressChanges(bool suppressChanges);
-		status_t	GetStyledText(BPositionIO* stream,
+			void		Reset();
+			void		SetSuppressChanges(bool suppressChanges);
+			status_t	GetStyledText(BPositionIO* stream,
 							const char* forceEncoding = NULL);
-		status_t	WriteStyledEditFile(BFile* file);
+			status_t	WriteStyledEditFile(BFile* file);
 
-		void 		SetEncoding(uint32 encoding);
-		uint32 		GetEncoding() const;
+			void 		SetEncoding(uint32 encoding);
+			uint32		GetEncoding() const;
 
-	private:
-		void		_UpdateStatus();
+private:
+			void		_UpdateStatus();
 
-		BMessenger 	*fMessenger;
-		bool		fSuppressChanges;
-		BString		fEncoding;
+			BMessenger*	fMessenger;
+			bool		fSuppressChanges;
+			BString		fEncoding;
 };
 
-#endif	// STYLED_EDIT_VIEW_H
 
+#endif	// STYLED_EDIT_VIEW_H
diff --git a/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditWindow.cpp b/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditWindow.cpp
index 03b79a35a1..0ca1ab15d6 100644
--- a/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/stylededit/StyledEditWindow.cpp
@@ -598,9 +598,8 @@ StyledEditWindow::MenusBeginning()
 		BMenu* menu = fCurrentFontItem->Submenu();
 		if (menu != NULL) {
 			BMenuItem* item = menu->FindMarked();
-			if (item != NULL) {
+			if (item != NULL)
 				item->SetMarked(false);
-			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -622,9 +621,10 @@ StyledEditWindow::MenusBeginning()
 	rgb_color color = BLACK;
 	bool sameColor;
 	fTextView->GetFontAndColor(&font, &sameProperties, &color, &sameColor);
+	color.alpha = 255;
 
-	if (sameColor && color.alpha == 255) {
-		// select the current color
+	if (sameColor) {
+		// mark the menu according to the current color
 		if (color.red == 0) {
 			if (color.green == 0) {
 				if (color.blue == 0) {
@@ -1086,7 +1086,7 @@ StyledEditWindow::_InitWindow(uint32 encoding)
 	textBounds.OffsetTo(B_ORIGIN);
 	textBounds.InsetBy(TEXT_INSET, TEXT_INSET);
 
-	fTextView= new StyledEditView(viewFrame, textBounds, this);
+	fTextView = new StyledEditView(viewFrame, textBounds, this);
 	fTextView->SetDoesUndo(true);
 	fTextView->SetStylable(true);
 	fTextView->SetEncoding(encoding);
@@ -1211,8 +1211,8 @@ StyledEditWindow::_InitWindow(uint32 encoding)
 	fFontColorMenu->SetRadioMode(true);
 	fFontMenu->AddItem(fFontColorMenu);
 
-	fFontColorMenu->AddItem(fBlackItem = new BMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Black"),
-		new BMessage(FONT_COLOR)));
+	fFontColorMenu->AddItem(fBlackItem = new ColorMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Black"),
+		BLACK, new BMessage(FONT_COLOR)));
 	fBlackItem->SetMarked(true);
 	fFontColorMenu->AddItem(fRedItem = new ColorMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Red"),
 		RED, new BMessage(FONT_COLOR)));
@@ -1222,10 +1222,12 @@ StyledEditWindow::_InitWindow(uint32 encoding)
 		BLUE, new BMessage(FONT_COLOR)));
 	fFontColorMenu->AddItem(fCyanItem = new ColorMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Cyan"),
 		CYAN, new BMessage(FONT_COLOR)));
-	fFontColorMenu->AddItem(fMagentaItem = new ColorMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Magenta"),
-		MAGENTA, new BMessage(FONT_COLOR)));
-	fFontColorMenu->AddItem(fYellowItem = new ColorMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Yellow"),
-		YELLOW, new BMessage(FONT_COLOR)));
+	fFontColorMenu->AddItem(fMagentaItem
+		= new ColorMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Magenta"), MAGENTA,
+			new BMessage(FONT_COLOR)));
+	fFontColorMenu->AddItem(fYellowItem
+		= new ColorMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Yellow"), YELLOW,
+			new BMessage(FONT_COLOR)));
 	fFontMenu->AddSeparatorItem();
 
 	// "Bold" & "Italic" menu items