diff --git a/pixelflut/api.go b/pixelflut/api.go
index dc71841..3c0f422 100644
--- a/pixelflut/api.go
+++ b/pixelflut/api.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/SpeckiJ/Hochwasser/render"
 )
 
-var funmode = true
+var funmode = false
 
 // Flut asynchronously sends the given image to pixelflut server at `address`
 //   using `conns` connections. Pixels are sent column wise, unless `shuffle`
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ func Flut(img *image.NRGBA, position image.Point, shuffle bool, address string,
 	var cmds commands
 	if funmode {
 		// do a RGB split of white
-		imgmod := render.ImgReplaceColors(img, color.NRGBA{0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff}, color.NRGBA{0xff, 0, 0, 0xff})
+		imgmod := render.ImgColorFilter(img, color.NRGBA{0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff}, color.NRGBA{0xff, 0, 0, 0xff})
 		cmds = append(cmds, commandsFromImage(imgmod, image.Pt(position.X-10, position.Y-10))...)
-		imgmod = render.ImgReplaceColors(img, color.NRGBA{0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff}, color.NRGBA{0, 0xff, 0, 0xff})
+		imgmod = render.ImgColorFilter(img, color.NRGBA{0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff}, color.NRGBA{0, 0xff, 0, 0xff})
 		cmds = append(cmds, commandsFromImage(imgmod, image.Pt(position.X+10, position.Y))...)
-		imgmod = render.ImgReplaceColors(img, color.NRGBA{0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff}, color.NRGBA{0, 0, 0xff, 0xff})
+		imgmod = render.ImgColorFilter(img, color.NRGBA{0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff}, color.NRGBA{0, 0, 0xff, 0xff})
 		cmds = append(cmds, commandsFromImage(imgmod, image.Pt(position.X-10, position.Y+10))...)
 		cmds = append(cmds, commandsFromImage(img, position)...)
 	} else {
diff --git a/render/image.go b/render/image.go
index b9fe2ff..b3782f7 100644
--- a/render/image.go
+++ b/render/image.go
@@ -46,13 +46,17 @@ func ImgToNRGBA(img image.Image) *image.NRGBA {
 	return r
 }
 
-func ImgReplaceColors(img *image.NRGBA, from, to color.NRGBA) *image.NRGBA {
+// ImgColorFilter replaces `from` with `to` in `img`, and sets all other pixels
+// to color.Transparent
+func ImgColorFilter(img *image.NRGBA, from, to color.NRGBA) *image.NRGBA {
 	b := img.Bounds()
 	r := image.NewNRGBA(b)
 	for x := b.Min.X; x < b.Max.X; x++ {
 		for y := b.Min.Y; y < b.Max.Y; y++ {
 			if img.At(x, y) == from {
 				r.SetNRGBA(x, y, to)
+			} else {
+				r.Set(x, y, color.Transparent)
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/render/text.go b/render/text.go
index 91690c2..f48e02a 100644
--- a/render/text.go
+++ b/render/text.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package render
 
 import (
 	"image"
-	"image/color"
 
 	"golang.org/x/image/draw"
 	"golang.org/x/image/font"
@@ -17,7 +16,7 @@ func pt(p fixed.Point26_6) image.Point {
 	}
 }
 
-func RenderText(text string, scale int, col, bgCol color.Color) *image.NRGBA {
+func RenderText(text string, scale int, texture, bgTex image.Image) *image.NRGBA {
 	// @incomplete: draw with texture via Drawer.Src
 	face := basicfont.Face7x13
 	stringBounds, _ := font.BoundString(face, text)
@@ -26,13 +25,13 @@ func RenderText(text string, scale int, col, bgCol color.Color) *image.NRGBA {
 	img := image.NewNRGBA(b)
 
 	// fill with black bg
-	if (bgCol != color.NRGBA{}) {
-		draw.Draw(img, b, image.NewUniform(bgCol), image.Point{}, draw.Src)
+	if bgTex != nil {
+		draw.Draw(img, b, bgTex, image.Point{}, draw.Src)
 	}
 
 	d := font.Drawer{
 		Dst:  img,
-		Src:  image.NewUniform(col),
+		Src:  texture,
 		Face: face,
 	}
 	d.DrawString(text)
diff --git a/rpc/dottir.go b/rpc/dottir.go
index 1d0c157..f908805 100644
--- a/rpc/dottir.go
+++ b/rpc/dottir.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ type FlutTask struct {
 	Img      *image.NRGBA
 	Offset   image.Point
 	Shuffle  bool
+	// Effects  []string // @idea shuffle, rgbsplit, randoffset, ...
 }
 
 type FlutAck struct{ Ok bool }
diff --git a/rpc/repl.go b/rpc/repl.go
index 73a49ba..1450536 100644
--- a/rpc/repl.go
+++ b/rpc/repl.go
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ const textMode = "TXT"
 // RunREPL starts reading os.Stdin for commands to apply to the given Fluter
 func RunREPL(f Fluter) {
 	mode := commandMode
-	textSize := 4
-	textCol := color.NRGBA{0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff}
-	bgCol := color.NRGBA{}
+	textSize := 10
+	var textCol image.Image = image.White
+	var bgCol image.Image = image.Transparent
 
 	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(os.Stdin)
 	for scanner.Scan() {
@@ -83,22 +83,25 @@ func RunREPL(f Fluter) {
 				f.applyTask(t)
 
 			case "txt":
-				fmt.Printf("[rán] text mode, return via %v\n", commandMode)
-				mode = textMode
 				if len(args) > 0 {
 					if size, err := strconv.Atoi(args[0]); err == nil {
 						textSize = size
 					}
 				}
 				if len(args) > 1 {
-					if col, err := hex.DecodeString(args[1]); err == nil {
-						textCol = color.NRGBA{col[0], col[1], col[2], 0xff}
-					}
+					textCol = parseColorOrPalette(args[1])
 				}
 				if len(args) > 2 {
-					if col, err := hex.DecodeString(args[2]); err == nil {
-						bgCol = color.NRGBA{col[0], col[1], col[2], 0xff}
-					}
+					bgCol = parseColorOrPalette(args[2])
+				}
+				if len(args) < 4 {
+					fmt.Printf("[rán] text mode, return via %v\n", commandMode)
+					mode = textMode
+				} else {
+					input := strings.Join(args[3:], " ")
+					t := f.getTask()
+					t.Img = render.RenderText(input, textSize, textCol, bgCol)
+					f.applyTask(t)
 				}
 
 			case "img":
@@ -120,3 +123,21 @@ func RunREPL(f Fluter) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// try to parse as hex-encoded RGB color,
+// alternatively treat it as palette name. If both fail,
+// give image.Transparent
+func parseColorOrPalette(input string) image.Image {
+	if col, err := hex.DecodeString(input); err == nil {
+		var alpha byte = 0xff
+		if len(col) == 4 {
+			alpha = col[3]
+		}
+		return image.NewUniform(color.NRGBA{col[0], col[1], col[2], alpha})
+	} else if pal := render.PrideFlags[input]; len(pal) != 0 {
+		return &render.StripePattern{Palette: pal, Size: 13}
+	} else {
+		return &render.SineColorPattern{Luma: 0xf0, Freq: 1}
+		return image.Transparent
+	}
+}