diff --git a/cli/internal/tui/views.go b/cli/internal/tui/views.go
index 5712684..1a756ee 100644
--- a/cli/internal/tui/views.go
+++ b/cli/internal/tui/views.go
@@ -11,6 +11,26 @@ import (
 	"github.com/noauf/transmute-cli/internal/theme"
 )
 
+// Fixed column widths (matching the web simulation layout).
+const (
+	colCursor = 3  // "> " or "  "
+	colCheck  = 3  // "● " or "○ "
+	colSize   = 10 // right-aligned file size
+	colFormat = 14 // "< webp >" centered
+	colStatus = 14 // "idle" / "converting..." / "done"
+	colGap    = 2  // gap between columns
+)
+
+// nameWidth calculates the flexible Name column width.
+func nameWidth(termW int) int {
+	fixed := colCursor + colCheck + colSize + colFormat + colStatus + colGap*3
+	w := termW - fixed
+	if w < 20 {
+		w = 20
+	}
+	return w
+}
+
 // View renders the entire TUI, filling the full terminal.
 func (m Model) View() string {
 	if m.width == 0 || m.height == 0 {
@@ -24,6 +44,7 @@ func (m Model) View() string {
 
 	switch m.state {
 	case stateFileList:
+		sections = append(sections, m.renderColumnHeader())
 		sections = append(sections, m.renderFileList())
 		sections = append(sections, m.renderDivider())
 		sections = append(sections, m.renderBottomBar())
@@ -74,27 +95,41 @@ func (m Model) renderTitleBar() string {
 			selected++
 		}
 	}
-	info := theme.Breadcrumb.Render(fmt.Sprintf("  %s · %d selected", fileCount, selected))
+	info := theme.Breadcrumb.Render(fmt.Sprintf("  %s \u00B7 %d selected", fileCount, selected))
 
-	left := title + info
-	padding := ""
-	rightContent := theme.Help.Render("? help")
-	totalWidth := lipgloss.Width(left) + lipgloss.Width(rightContent) + 2
-	if m.width > totalWidth {
-		padding = strings.Repeat(" ", m.width-totalWidth)
+	left := "  " + title + info
+	rightContent := theme.Help.Render("? help") + "  "
+	gap := m.width - lipgloss.Width(left) - lipgloss.Width(rightContent)
+	if gap < 1 {
+		gap = 1
 	}
 
-	return left + padding + rightContent
+	return left + strings.Repeat(" ", gap) + rightContent
 }
 
 // ─── Divider ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 func (m Model) renderDivider() string {
-	w := m.width
-	if w <= 0 {
-		w = 60
+	w := m.width - 4 // 2 char padding each side
+	if w < 10 {
+		w = 10
 	}
-	return theme.Divider.Render(strings.Repeat("─", w))
+	return "  " + theme.Divider.Render(strings.Repeat("\u2500", w)) + "  "
+}
+
+// ─── Column header ───────────────────────────────────────────
+
+func (m Model) renderColumnHeader() string {
+	nw := nameWidth(m.width)
+
+	// "Name" sits after the cursor+check prefix (6 chars), indented
+	nameHdr := theme.Breadcrumb.Copy().Width(colCursor + colCheck + nw).Render(
+		strings.Repeat(" ", colCursor+colCheck) + "Name")
+	sizeHdr := theme.Breadcrumb.Copy().Width(colSize).Align(lipgloss.Right).Render("Size")
+	fmtHdr := theme.Breadcrumb.Copy().Width(colFormat).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render("Convert to")
+	statHdr := theme.Breadcrumb.Copy().Width(colStatus).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render("Status")
+
+	return nameHdr + "  " + sizeHdr + "  " + fmtHdr + "  " + statHdr
 }
 
 // ─── File list ───────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -109,9 +144,6 @@ func (m Model) renderFileList() string {
 		return empty
 	}
 
-	// Column header
-	header := renderColumnHeader(m.width)
-
 	maxVisible := m.maxVisibleFiles()
 	end := m.scroll + maxVisible
 	if end > len(m.files) {
@@ -119,14 +151,12 @@ func (m Model) renderFileList() string {
 	}
 
 	var rows []string
-	rows = append(rows, header)
-
 	for i := m.scroll; i < end; i++ {
 		rows = append(rows, m.renderFileRow(i))
 	}
 
 	// Pad with empty rows so the file list always fills the available space
-	rendered := len(rows) - 1 // subtract header
+	rendered := len(rows)
 	if rendered < maxVisible {
 		emptyRow := strings.Repeat(" ", m.width)
 		for i := rendered; i < maxVisible; i++ {
@@ -137,62 +167,43 @@ func (m Model) renderFileList() string {
 	// Scrollbar indicator
 	if len(m.files) > maxVisible {
 		scrollInfo := theme.Help.Render(fmt.Sprintf(
-			"  showing %d–%d of %d", m.scroll+1, end, len(m.files)))
+			"  showing %d\u2013%d of %d", m.scroll+1, end, len(m.files)))
 		rows = append(rows, scrollInfo)
 	}
 
 	return lipgloss.JoinVertical(lipgloss.Left, rows...)
 }
 
-func renderColumnHeader(width int) string {
-	nameW := 30
-	sizeW := 10
-	formatW := 20
-	statusW := 12
-
-	if width > 100 {
-		nameW = width - sizeW - formatW - statusW - 12
-	}
-
-	name := theme.Breadcrumb.Copy().Width(nameW).Render("  Name")
-	size := theme.Breadcrumb.Copy().Width(sizeW).Align(lipgloss.Right).Render("Size")
-	format := theme.Breadcrumb.Copy().Width(formatW).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render("Convert to")
-	status := theme.Breadcrumb.Copy().Width(statusW).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render("Status")
-
-	return name + size + "  " + format + "  " + status
-}
-
 func (m Model) renderFileRow(idx int) string {
 	f := m.files[idx]
 	isCursor := idx == m.cursor
+	nw := nameWidth(m.width)
 
-	nameW := 30
-	sizeW := 10
-	formatW := 20
-	statusW := 12
-
-	if m.width > 100 {
-		nameW = m.width - sizeW - formatW - statusW - 12
-	}
-
-	// Cursor + selection indicator
-	prefix := "  "
+	// ── Cursor indicator ──
+	cursor := "   "
 	if isCursor {
-		prefix = theme.Selected.Render("> ")
+		cursor = " " + theme.Selected.Render(">") + " "
 	}
 
-	// Checkbox
-	check := "○"
+	// ── Selection dot ──
+	check := theme.Breadcrumb.Render("\u25CB") + " " // ○
 	if f.selected {
-		check = theme.StatusDone.Render("●")
+		check = theme.StatusDone.Render("\u25CF") + " " // ●  (mint)
 	}
 
-	// Category icon + file name
-	catColor := theme.CategoryColor(string(f.category))
+	// ── Icon + ext badge + filename ──
 	icon := detect.CategoryIcon(f.category)
+	catColor := theme.CategoryColor(string(f.category))
+	extBadge := theme.ExtBadge(catColor).Render(strings.ToUpper(f.ext))
+
 	nameText := f.name
-	if len(nameText) > nameW-8 {
-		nameText = nameText[:nameW-11] + "..."
+	// Reserve space for icon(2) + space(1) + ext(max 5) + space(1) + ...
+	maxName := nw - 10
+	if maxName < 8 {
+		maxName = 8
+	}
+	if len(nameText) > maxName {
+		nameText = nameText[:maxName-3] + "..."
 	}
 
 	var nameStyle lipgloss.Style
@@ -202,17 +213,18 @@ func (m Model) renderFileRow(idx int) string {
 		nameStyle = theme.FileName
 	}
 
-	nameCol := lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(nameW).Render(
-		prefix + check + " " + icon + " " + theme.ExtBadge(catColor).Render(strings.ToUpper(f.ext)) + " " + nameStyle.Render(nameText))
+	// Build the name cell content, then wrap in a fixed-width style
+	nameContent := icon + " " + extBadge + " " + nameStyle.Render(nameText)
+	nameCell := lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(nw).MaxWidth(nw).Render(nameContent)
 
-	// Size
-	sizeCol := theme.FileSize.Copy().Width(sizeW).Align(lipgloss.Right).Render(formatSize(f.size))
+	// ── Size ──
+	sizeCell := theme.FileSize.Copy().Width(colSize).Align(lipgloss.Right).Render(formatSize(f.size))
 
-	// Format selector
-	formatStr := renderFormatSelector(f, isCursor)
-	formatCol := lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(formatW).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render(formatStr)
+	// ── Format selector ──
+	fmtStr := renderFormatSelector(f, isCursor)
+	fmtCell := lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(colFormat).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render(fmtStr)
 
-	// Status
+	// ── Status ──
 	var statusStr string
 	switch f.status {
 	case "idle":
@@ -224,36 +236,41 @@ func (m Model) renderFileRow(idx int) string {
 	case "error":
 		statusStr = theme.StatusError.Render("error")
 	}
-	statusCol := lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(statusW).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render(statusStr)
+	statusCell := lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(colStatus).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render(statusStr)
 
-	return nameCol + sizeCol + "  " + formatCol + "  " + statusCol
+	// ── Assemble row ──
+	row := cursor + check + nameCell + "  " + sizeCell + "  " + fmtCell + "  " + statusCell
+
+	// Highlight active row with warm background
+	if isCursor {
+		row = lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(theme.Warm).Render(row)
+	}
+
+	return row
 }
 
 func renderFormatSelector(f fileEntry, active bool) string {
 	if len(f.formats) == 0 {
-		return theme.Help.Render("—")
+		return theme.Help.Render("\u2014")
 	}
 
-	var parts []string
+	left := "  "
+	right := "  "
 	if active && f.formatIdx > 0 {
-		parts = append(parts, theme.Help.Render("< "))
-	} else {
-		parts = append(parts, "  ")
+		left = theme.Help.Render("< ")
 	}
-
-	if active {
-		parts = append(parts, theme.Selected.Render(f.targetFormat))
-	} else {
-		parts = append(parts, theme.Unselected.Render(f.targetFormat))
-	}
-
 	if active && f.formatIdx < len(f.formats)-1 {
-		parts = append(parts, theme.Help.Render(" >"))
-	} else {
-		parts = append(parts, "  ")
+		right = theme.Help.Render(" >")
 	}
 
-	return strings.Join(parts, "")
+	var middle string
+	if active {
+		middle = theme.Selected.Render(f.targetFormat)
+	} else {
+		middle = theme.Unselected.Render(f.targetFormat)
+	}
+
+	return left + middle + right
 }
 
 // ─── Bottom bar ──────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -268,20 +285,19 @@ func (m Model) renderBottomBar() string {
 
 	var left string
 	if selected > 0 {
-		left = theme.ButtonPrimary.Render(fmt.Sprintf(" Convert %d files [c] ", selected))
+		left = "  " + theme.ButtonPrimary.Render(fmt.Sprintf(" Convert %d files [c] ", selected))
 	} else {
-		left = theme.Help.Render("Select files to convert")
+		left = "  " + theme.Help.Render("Select files to convert")
 	}
 
-	right := theme.Help.Render("up/down navigate  left/right format  space select  a all  d remove  q quit")
+	right := theme.Help.Render("up/down navigate  left/right format  space select  a all  q quit") + "  "
 
-	padding := ""
-	totalWidth := lipgloss.Width(left) + lipgloss.Width(right)
-	if m.width > totalWidth {
-		padding = strings.Repeat(" ", m.width-totalWidth)
+	gap := m.width - lipgloss.Width(left) - lipgloss.Width(right)
+	if gap < 1 {
+		gap = 1
 	}
 
-	return left + padding + right
+	return left + strings.Repeat(" ", gap) + right
 }
 
 // ─── Converting view ─────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -304,14 +320,14 @@ func (m Model) renderConverting() string {
 	}
 
 	bar := "  " +
-		theme.ProgressFilled.Render(strings.Repeat("█", filled)) +
-		theme.ProgressEmpty.Render(strings.Repeat("░", barWidth-filled))
+		theme.ProgressFilled.Render(strings.Repeat("\u2588", filled)) +
+		theme.ProgressEmpty.Render(strings.Repeat("\u2591", barWidth-filled))
 
 	// Show current files being converted
 	var current []string
 	for _, f := range m.files {
 		if f.status == "converting" {
-			current = append(current, fmt.Sprintf("  %s -> %s", f.name, f.targetFormat))
+			current = append(current, fmt.Sprintf("  %s \u2192 %s", f.name, f.targetFormat))
 		}
 	}
 	currentStr := theme.Help.Render(strings.Join(current, "\n"))
@@ -362,14 +378,14 @@ func (m Model) renderResults() string {
 		}
 		switch f.status {
 		case "done":
-			rows = append(rows, theme.StatusDone.Render("  done ")+
+			rows = append(rows, theme.StatusDone.Render("  \u2713 ")+
 				theme.FileName.Render(f.name)+
-				theme.Help.Render(" -> ")+
+				theme.Help.Render(" \u2192 ")+
 				theme.BreadcrumbActive.Render(f.outputPath))
 		case "error":
-			rows = append(rows, theme.StatusError.Render("  fail ")+
+			rows = append(rows, theme.StatusError.Render("  \u2717 ")+
 				theme.FileName.Render(f.name)+
-				theme.Help.Render(" -- ")+
+				theme.Help.Render(" \u2014 ")+
 				theme.StatusError.Render(f.error))
 		}
 	}