diff --git a/docs/report/1H-codesign-paper/figures/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_flow.png b/docs/report/1H-codesign-paper/figures/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_flow.png
index c71782b..da16214 100644
Binary files a/docs/report/1H-codesign-paper/figures/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_flow.png and b/docs/report/1H-codesign-paper/figures/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_flow.png differ
diff --git a/docs/report/1H-codesign-paper/figures/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_stacked.png b/docs/report/1H-codesign-paper/figures/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_stacked.png
index 023130c..3335a74 100644
Binary files a/docs/report/1H-codesign-paper/figures/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_stacked.png and b/docs/report/1H-codesign-paper/figures/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_stacked.png differ
diff --git a/scripts/paper/paper_plot_ipcq_alternatives_comparison.py b/scripts/paper/paper_plot_ipcq_alternatives_comparison.py
index c1f633c..e55b1f3 100644
--- a/scripts/paper/paper_plot_ipcq_alternatives_comparison.py
+++ b/scripts/paper/paper_plot_ipcq_alternatives_comparison.py
@@ -290,11 +290,12 @@ def _flow_lead(ax, x_tail, y_tail, x_head, y_head, color="#777"):
 
 def _flow_setup(ax, kind):
     ax.set_xlim(0, 20); ax.set_ylim(0, 10); ax.axis("off")
+    # Thin, subtle outer frame so the per-case flow inside dominates.
     ax.add_patch(mpatches.FancyBboxPatch(
         (0.15, 0.15), 19.7, 9.7,
         boxstyle="round,pad=0.05,rounding_size=0.12",
         facecolor="white", edgecolor=_COLOR[kind],
-        linewidth=2.2, zorder=0))
+        linewidth=0.9, alpha=0.85, zorder=0))
     ax.text(10, 0.65, _TITLE[kind],
             ha="center", va="center", fontsize=11.5,
             fontweight="bold",
diff --git a/src/kernbench/benches/1H_milestone_output/IPCQ/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_flow.png b/src/kernbench/benches/1H_milestone_output/IPCQ/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_flow.png
index c71782b..da16214 100644
Binary files a/src/kernbench/benches/1H_milestone_output/IPCQ/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_flow.png and b/src/kernbench/benches/1H_milestone_output/IPCQ/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_flow.png differ
diff --git a/src/kernbench/benches/1H_milestone_output/IPCQ/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_stacked.png b/src/kernbench/benches/1H_milestone_output/IPCQ/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_stacked.png
index 023130c..3335a74 100644
Binary files a/src/kernbench/benches/1H_milestone_output/IPCQ/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_stacked.png and b/src/kernbench/benches/1H_milestone_output/IPCQ/ipcq_alternatives_architecture_stacked.png differ