diff --git a/tools/public/assets/style.css b/tools/public/assets/style.css
index 7fc0beb..700ac6a 100644
--- a/tools/public/assets/style.css
+++ b/tools/public/assets/style.css
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 html, body { height: 100%; }
 body.app {
+  font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;
   background:
     radial-gradient(1200px 400px at 80% -10%, rgba(59, 79, 216, 0.08), transparent 60%),
     var(--bg);
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ body.app {
   flex-direction: column;
 }
 [v-cloak] { display: none; }
+a { text-decoration: none; }
 
 /* ── navbar ─────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 .nav {
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ body.app {
 
 /* ── layout ─────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 main.container { flex: 1 0 auto; }
-.narrow { max-width: 560px; }
+.narrow { max-width: 560px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; }
 .center-v { display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: center; min-height: 70vh; }
 .page-head { margin: 2.2rem 0 1.4rem; display: flex; align-items: flex-end; justify-content: space-between; gap: 1rem; flex-wrap: wrap; }
 .page-head h1 { font-size: 1.45rem; font-weight: 700; margin: 0; letter-spacing: -0.01em; }
@@ -113,7 +115,8 @@ label { font-weight: 600; font-size: 13px; color: var(--ink); margin-bottom: 0.3
 select.form-control { appearance: auto; }
 
 /* ── buttons ────────────────────────────────────────────── */
-.btn { border-radius: 10px; font-weight: 600; font-size: 14px; padding: 0.55rem 1.1rem; border: 1px solid transparent; }
+.btn { border-radius: 10px; font-weight: 600; font-size: 14px; padding: 0.55rem 1.1rem; border: 1px solid transparent; text-decoration: none; }
+a.btn:hover, a.btn:focus { text-decoration: none; }
 .btn:focus { box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(59, 79, 216, 0.18); }
 .btn-primary { background: var(--brand); border-color: var(--brand); color: #fff; }
 .btn-primary:hover, .btn-primary:focus { background: var(--brand-dark); border-color: var(--brand-dark); color: #fff; }
diff --git a/tools/server.js b/tools/server.js
index 84b286b..5fed4f5 100644
--- a/tools/server.js
+++ b/tools/server.js
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@ function readProfile(raw) {
   }
 }
 
-function errorPage(res, status, title, message) {
+function errorPage(res, status, title, message, actions = {}) {
+  const primary = actions.primary || { href: '/auth/login', label: 'Try again' };
+  const secondary = actions.secondary === null ? null : actions.secondary || { href: '/', label: 'Back to Tools' };
+  const icon = actions.icon || 'alert';
   res
     .status(status)
     .type('html')
@@ -71,13 +74,26 @@ function errorPage(res, status, title, message) {
   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/style.css">
 </head>
 <body class="app">
+  <nav class="nav">
+    <div class="container">
+      <a class="brand" href="/">
+        <span class="brand-mark">
+          <svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M12 2a8 8 0 0 0-8 8c0 3.5 1 5.5 2 7"/><path d="M16 21a10 10 0 0 0 4-13 8 8 0 0 0-15.7-1"/><path d="M8 21a8 8 0 0 1-1-11 5 5 0 0 1 9.7 1.4A6 6 0 0 1 12 17"/><path d="M12 21a4 4 0 0 0 4-4 4 4 0 0 0-1.2-2.9"/></svg>
+        </span>
+        YOUreka <small>Tools</small>
+      </a>
+      <div class="nav-right">
+        <a class="linklike" href="/auth/logout">Sign out</a>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  </nav>
   <main class="container narrow center-v">
     <div class="card message-card">
-      <div class="message-icon error">${ICONS.alert}</div>
+      <div class="message-icon error">${ICONS[icon] || ICONS.alert}</div>
       <h1>${title}</h1>
       <p class="muted">${message}</p>
-      <a class="btn btn-primary" href="/auth/login">Try again</a>
-      <a class="btn btn-ghost" href="/">Back to Tools</a>
+      <a class="btn btn-primary" href="${primary.href}">${primary.label}</a>
+      ${secondary ? `<a class="btn btn-ghost" href="${secondary.href}">${secondary.label}</a>` : ''}
     </div>
   </main>
 </body>
@@ -87,6 +103,8 @@ function errorPage(res, status, title, message) {
 const ICONS = {
   alert:
     '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="28" height="28" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M10.29 3.86 1.82 18a2 2 0 0 0 1.71 3h16.94a2 2 0 0 0 1.71-3L13.71 3.86a2 2 0 0 0-3.42 0z"/><line x1="12" y1="9" x2="12" y2="13"/><line x1="12" y1="17" x2="12.01" y2="17"/></svg>',
+  lock:
+    '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="28" height="28" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" aria-hidden="true"><rect x="3" y="11" width="18" height="11" rx="2"/><path d="M7 11V7a5 5 0 0 1 10 0v4"/></svg>',
 };
 
 // ── app factory ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -304,8 +322,9 @@ export function createApp(overrides = {}) {
       return errorPage(
         res,
         403,
-        'Not permitted',
-        'You are not permitted to crop images. Contact your administrator if you believe this is a mistake.'
+        'No access',
+        'Your account doesn\u2019t have permission to crop images. Ask a domain administrator to grant you access.',
+        { icon: 'lock', primary: { href: '/', label: 'Back to Tools' }, secondary: null }
       );
     }
     next();
diff --git a/tools/test/cropper.test.js b/tools/test/cropper.test.js
index e08f4d8..a9ef58e 100644
--- a/tools/test/cropper.test.js
+++ b/tools/test/cropper.test.js
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ test('crop gate: permitted operator loads the page; denied operator does not', a
     const cookies = await login(denied.base);
     const page = await fetch(`${denied.base}/cropper`, { headers: { cookie: cookies } });
     assert.equal(page.status, 403);
-    assert.match(await page.text(), /not permitted/i);
+    assert.match(await page.text(), /permission to crop images/i);
   } finally {
     await denied.stop();
   }