diff --git a/Software/PC_Application/Traces/tracexyplot.cpp b/Software/PC_Application/Traces/tracexyplot.cpp
index 80e6c0d..a06af3d 100644
--- a/Software/PC_Application/Traces/tracexyplot.cpp
+++ b/Software/PC_Application/Traces/tracexyplot.cpp
@@ -381,69 +381,6 @@ void TraceXYPlot::draw(QPainter &p)
     font.setPixelSize(AxisLabelSize);
     p.setFont(font);
     p.drawText(QRect(0, w.height()-AxisLabelSize*1.5, w.width(), AxisLabelSize*1.5), Qt::AlignHCenter, AxisTypeToName(XAxis.type));
-    if(XAxis.ticks.size() >= 1) {
-        // draw X ticks
-        // this only works for evenly distributed ticks:
-        auto max = qMax(abs(XAxis.ticks.front()), abs(XAxis.ticks.back()));
-        auto minLabel = qMin(abs(XAxis.ticks.front()), abs(XAxis.ticks.back()));
-        double step;
-        if(XAxis.ticks.size() >= 2) {
-            step = abs(XAxis.ticks[0] - XAxis.ticks[1]);
-        } else {
-            // only one tick, set arbitrary number of digits
-            step = max / 1000;
-        }
-        if(minLabel > 0 && minLabel < step) {
-            step = minLabel;
-        }
-        int significantDigits = floor(log10(max)) - floor(log10(step)) + 1;
-        bool displayFullFreq = significantDigits <= 5;
-        constexpr int displayLastDigits = 4;
-        QString prefixes = "fpnum kMG";
-        QString commonPrefix = QString();
-        if(!displayFullFreq) {
-            auto fullFreq = Unit::ToString(XAxis.ticks.front(), "", prefixes, significantDigits);
-            commonPrefix = fullFreq.at(fullFreq.size() - 1);
-            auto front = fullFreq;
-            front.truncate(fullFreq.size() - displayLastDigits);
-            auto back = fullFreq;
-            back.remove(0, front.size());
-            back.append("..");
-            p.setPen(QPen(QColor("orange")));
-            QRect bounding;
-            p.drawText(QRect(2, plotAreaBottom + AxisLabelSize + 5, w.width(), AxisLabelSize), 0, front, &bounding);
-            p.setPen(pref.Graphs.Color.axis);
-            p.drawText(QRect(bounding.x() + bounding.width(), plotAreaBottom + AxisLabelSize + 5, w.width(), AxisLabelSize), 0, back);
-        }
-
-        for(auto t : XAxis.ticks) {
-            auto xCoord = Util::Scale<double>(t, XAxis.rangeMin, XAxis.rangeMax, plotAreaLeft, plotAreaLeft + plotAreaWidth);
-            auto tickValue = Unit::ToString(t, "", prefixes, significantDigits);
-            p.setPen(QPen(pref.Graphs.Color.axis, 1));
-            if(displayFullFreq) {
-                p.drawText(QRect(xCoord - 40, plotAreaBottom + 5, 80, AxisLabelSize), Qt::AlignHCenter, tickValue);
-            } else {
-                // check if the same prefix was used as in the fullFreq string
-                if(tickValue.at(tickValue.size() - 1) != commonPrefix) {
-                    // prefix changed, we reached the next order of magnitude. Force same prefix as in fullFreq and add extra digit
-                    tickValue = Unit::ToString(t, "", commonPrefix, significantDigits + 1);
-                }
-
-                tickValue.remove(0, tickValue.size() - displayLastDigits);
-                QRect bounding;
-                p.drawText(QRect(xCoord - 40, plotAreaBottom + 5, 80, AxisLabelSize), Qt::AlignHCenter, tickValue, &bounding);
-                p.setPen(QPen(QColor("orange")));
-                p.drawText(QRect(0, plotAreaBottom + 5, bounding.x() - 1, AxisLabelSize), Qt::AlignRight, "..");
-                p.setPen(QPen(pref.Graphs.Color.axis, 1));
-            }
-            p.drawLine(xCoord, plotAreaBottom, xCoord, plotAreaBottom + 2);
-            if(xCoord != plotAreaLeft && xCoord != plotAreaLeft + plotAreaWidth) {
-                p.setPen(QPen(pref.Graphs.Color.Ticks.divisions, 0.5, Qt::DashLine));
-                p.drawLine(xCoord, plotAreaTop, xCoord, plotAreaBottom);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     for(int i=0;i<2;i++) {
         if(YAxis[i].type == YAxisType::Disabled) {
             continue;
@@ -470,7 +407,6 @@ void TraceXYPlot::draw(QPainter &p)
             int significantDigits = floor(log10(max)) - floor(log10(step)) + 1;
 
             auto yCoordWidth = 0;
-            auto yCoordLast = 0;
 
             for(unsigned int j = 0; j < YAxis[i].ticks.size(); j++) {
                 auto yCoord = Util::Scale<double>(YAxis[i].ticks[j], YAxis[i].rangeMax, YAxis[i].rangeMin, plotAreaTop, w.height() - xAxisSpace);
@@ -493,19 +429,18 @@ void TraceXYPlot::draw(QPainter &p)
                 }
                 if(i == 0) {
                     // only draw tick lines for primary axis
-                    p.setPen(QPen(pref.Graphs.Color.Ticks.divisions, 0.5, Qt::DashLine));
-                    p.drawLine(plotAreaLeft, yCoord, plotAreaLeft + plotAreaWidth, yCoord);
-
                     if (pref.Graphs.Color.Ticks.Background.enabled) {
                         yCoordWidth =  floor((w.height() - xAxisSpace - plotAreaTop)/(YAxis[i].ticks.size()-1));
                         if (j%2)
                         {
                             p.setBrush(pref.Graphs.Color.Ticks.Background.background);
-                            auto rect = QRect(plotAreaLeft, yCoord, plotAreaWidth, yCoordWidth);
+                            p.setPen(pref.Graphs.Color.Ticks.Background.background);
+                            auto rect = QRect(plotAreaLeft+1, yCoord+1, plotAreaWidth-2, yCoordWidth-2);
                             p.drawRect(rect);
                         }
-                        yCoordLast = yCoord;
                     }
+                    p.setPen(QPen(pref.Graphs.Color.Ticks.divisions, 0.5, Qt::DashLine));
+                    p.drawLine(plotAreaLeft, yCoord, plotAreaLeft + plotAreaWidth, yCoord);
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -572,6 +507,69 @@ void TraceXYPlot::draw(QPainter &p)
         p.setClipping(false);
     }
 
+    if(XAxis.ticks.size() >= 1) {
+        // draw X ticks
+        // this only works for evenly distributed ticks:
+        auto max = qMax(abs(XAxis.ticks.front()), abs(XAxis.ticks.back()));
+        auto minLabel = qMin(abs(XAxis.ticks.front()), abs(XAxis.ticks.back()));
+        double step;
+        if(XAxis.ticks.size() >= 2) {
+            step = abs(XAxis.ticks[0] - XAxis.ticks[1]);
+        } else {
+            // only one tick, set arbitrary number of digits
+            step = max / 1000;
+        }
+        if(minLabel > 0 && minLabel < step) {
+            step = minLabel;
+        }
+        int significantDigits = floor(log10(max)) - floor(log10(step)) + 1;
+        bool displayFullFreq = significantDigits <= 5;
+        constexpr int displayLastDigits = 4;
+        QString prefixes = "fpnum kMG";
+        QString commonPrefix = QString();
+        if(!displayFullFreq) {
+            auto fullFreq = Unit::ToString(XAxis.ticks.front(), "", prefixes, significantDigits);
+            commonPrefix = fullFreq.at(fullFreq.size() - 1);
+            auto front = fullFreq;
+            front.truncate(fullFreq.size() - displayLastDigits);
+            auto back = fullFreq;
+            back.remove(0, front.size());
+            back.append("..");
+            p.setPen(QPen(QColor("orange")));
+            QRect bounding;
+            p.drawText(QRect(2, plotAreaBottom + AxisLabelSize + 5, w.width(), AxisLabelSize), 0, front, &bounding);
+            p.setPen(pref.Graphs.Color.axis);
+            p.drawText(QRect(bounding.x() + bounding.width(), plotAreaBottom + AxisLabelSize + 5, w.width(), AxisLabelSize), 0, back);
+        }
+
+        for(auto t : XAxis.ticks) {
+            auto xCoord = Util::Scale<double>(t, XAxis.rangeMin, XAxis.rangeMax, plotAreaLeft, plotAreaLeft + plotAreaWidth);
+            auto tickValue = Unit::ToString(t, "", prefixes, significantDigits);
+            p.setPen(QPen(pref.Graphs.Color.axis, 1));
+            if(displayFullFreq) {
+                p.drawText(QRect(xCoord - 40, plotAreaBottom + 5, 80, AxisLabelSize), Qt::AlignHCenter, tickValue);
+            } else {
+                // check if the same prefix was used as in the fullFreq string
+                if(tickValue.at(tickValue.size() - 1) != commonPrefix) {
+                    // prefix changed, we reached the next order of magnitude. Force same prefix as in fullFreq and add extra digit
+                    tickValue = Unit::ToString(t, "", commonPrefix, significantDigits + 1);
+                }
+
+                tickValue.remove(0, tickValue.size() - displayLastDigits);
+                QRect bounding;
+                p.drawText(QRect(xCoord - 40, plotAreaBottom + 5, 80, AxisLabelSize), Qt::AlignHCenter, tickValue, &bounding);
+                p.setPen(QPen(QColor("orange")));
+                p.drawText(QRect(0, plotAreaBottom + 5, bounding.x() - 1, AxisLabelSize), Qt::AlignRight, "..");
+                p.setPen(QPen(pref.Graphs.Color.axis, 1));
+            }
+            p.drawLine(xCoord, plotAreaBottom, xCoord, plotAreaBottom + 2);
+            if(xCoord != plotAreaLeft && xCoord != plotAreaLeft + plotAreaWidth) {
+                p.setPen(QPen(pref.Graphs.Color.Ticks.divisions, 0.5, Qt::DashLine));
+                p.drawLine(xCoord, plotAreaTop, xCoord, plotAreaBottom);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     if(dropPending) {
         p.setOpacity(0.5);
         p.setBrush(Qt::white);
diff --git a/Software/PC_Application/preferences.h b/Software/PC_Application/preferences.h
index 8d112e5..9c46615 100644
--- a/Software/PC_Application/preferences.h
+++ b/Software/PC_Application/preferences.h
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ private:
         {&Graphs.Color.background, "Graphs.Color.background", QColor(Qt::black)},
         {&Graphs.Color.axis, "Graphs.Color.axis", QColor(Qt::white)},
         {&Graphs.Color.Ticks.Background.enabled, "Graphs.Color.Ticks.Background.enabled", true},
-        {&Graphs.Color.Ticks.Background.background, "Graphs.Color.Ticks.Background.background", QColor(Qt::white)},
+        {&Graphs.Color.Ticks.Background.background, "Graphs.Color.Ticks.Background.background", QColor(20, 20, 20)},
         {&Graphs.Color.Ticks.divisions, "Graphs.Color.Ticks.divisions", QColor(Qt::gray)},
         {&Graphs.domainChangeBehavior, "Graphs.domainChangeBehavior", GraphDomainChangeBehavior::AdjustGraphs},
         {&Graphs.markerBehavior.showDataOnGraphs, "Graphs.markerBehavior.ShowDataOnGraphs", true},
diff --git a/Software/PC_Application/preferencesdialog.ui b/Software/PC_Application/preferencesdialog.ui
index e199600..23b3fb5 100644
--- a/Software/PC_Application/preferencesdialog.ui
+++ b/Software/PC_Application/preferencesdialog.ui
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@
                  <item row="2" column="0">
                   <widget class="QLabel" name="label_17">
                    <property name="text">
-                    <string>Divisions:</string>
+                    <string>Tick lines:</string>
                    </property>
                   </widget>
                  </item>
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@
                  <item row="1" column="0">
                   <widget class="QCheckBox" name="GraphsColorTicksBackgroundEnabled">
                    <property name="text">
-                    <string>Enable background</string>
+                    <string>Different background for every 2nd Y tick</string>
                    </property>
                    <property name="checked">
                     <bool>true</bool>