diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-codec.fixtures.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-codec.fixtures.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5a2e97f82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-codec.fixtures.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+import zlib from 'node:zlib';
+import { predictByte } from './png-predictor.ts';
+import { PNG } from './png.ts';
+
+/**
+ * Test-only PNG writer. `pngjs` picks one filter for a whole image and cannot express the
+ * per-row mixtures, palettes, transparency, and header variations the crop paths have to
+ * classify, so fixtures assemble the chunks directly. Every fixture is read back by `pngjs`
+ * in the test that uses it, which is what proves this writer is honest.
+ */
+
+const SIGNATURE = Uint8Array.from([0x89, 0x50, 0x4e, 0x47, 0x0d, 0x0a, 0x1a, 0x0a]);
+const FILTER_CYCLE: readonly number[] = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4];
+const IHDR_COLOR_TYPE_BYTE = 25;
+const IHDR_BIT_DEPTH_BYTE = 24;
+
+export type PngFixture = Readonly<{
+  pixels: Uint8Array;
+  width: number;
+  height: number;
+  channels: number;
+  colorType: number;
+  bitDepth?: number;
+  interlace?: number;
+  compressionMethod?: number;
+  filterMethod?: number;
+  filterFor?: (row: number) => number;
+  palette?: Uint8Array;
+  transparency?: Uint8Array;
+  ancillary?: Readonly<{ type: string; data: Uint8Array }>;
+}>;
+
+export function encodeFixturePng(fixture: PngFixture): Buffer {
+  const { height, width } = fixture;
+  const header = Buffer.alloc(13);
+  header.writeUInt32BE(width, 0);
+  header.writeUInt32BE(height, 4);
+  header[8] = fixture.bitDepth ?? 8;
+  header[9] = fixture.colorType;
+  header[10] = fixture.compressionMethod ?? 0;
+  header[11] = fixture.filterMethod ?? 0;
+  header[12] = fixture.interlace ?? 0;
+  const chunks: Uint8Array[] = [SIGNATURE, pngChunk('IHDR', header)];
+  if (fixture.ancillary) chunks.push(pngChunk(fixture.ancillary.type, fixture.ancillary.data));
+  if (fixture.palette) chunks.push(pngChunk('PLTE', fixture.palette));
+  if (fixture.transparency) chunks.push(pngChunk('tRNS', fixture.transparency));
+  chunks.push(pngChunk('IDAT', zlib.deflateSync(filterScanlines(fixture), { level: 6 })));
+  chunks.push(pngChunk('IEND', new Uint8Array(0)));
+  return Buffer.concat(chunks);
+}
+
+/** A pixel grid where neighbouring pixels differ, so a wrong row or column cannot hide. */
+export function rampPixels(
+  width: number,
+  height: number,
+  channels: number,
+  alpha: (x: number, y: number) => number = () => 255,
+): Uint8Array {
+  const pixels = new Uint8Array(width * height * channels);
+  for (let y = 0; y < height; y += 1) {
+    for (let x = 0; x < width; x += 1) {
+      const offset = (y * width + x) * channels;
+      pixels[offset] = (x * 7 + y * 3) & 0xff;
+      if (channels >= 3) {
+        pixels[offset + 1] = (x * 11 + y * 5) & 0xff;
+        pixels[offset + 2] = (x * 13 + y * 17) & 0xff;
+      }
+      if (channels === 2) pixels[offset + 1] = alpha(x, y) & 0xff;
+      if (channels === 4) pixels[offset + 3] = alpha(x, y) & 0xff;
+    }
+  }
+  return pixels;
+}
+
+/** Reads any encoded PNG back as RGBA through `pngjs`, with the layout bytes it declares. */
+export function readPngForTest(buffer: Buffer): {
+  width: number;
+  height: number;
+  colorType: number;
+  bitDepth: number;
+  rgba: Uint8Array;
+} {
+  const png = PNG.sync.read(buffer);
+  return {
+    width: png.width,
+    height: png.height,
+    colorType: buffer.readUInt8(IHDR_COLOR_TYPE_BYTE),
+    bitDepth: buffer.readUInt8(IHDR_BIT_DEPTH_BYTE),
+    rgba: png.data,
+  };
+}
+
+function filterScanlines(fixture: PngFixture): Uint8Array {
+  const { channels, height, width } = fixture;
+  const stride = width * channels;
+  const scanlines = new Uint8Array(height * (stride + 1));
+  for (let row = 0; row < height; row += 1) {
+    const data = row * (stride + 1) + 1;
+    const filter = fixture.filterFor?.(row) ?? FILTER_CYCLE[row % FILTER_CYCLE.length]!;
+    scanlines[row * (stride + 1)] = filter;
+    const from = row * stride;
+    for (let offset = 0; offset < stride; offset += 1) {
+      scanlines[data + offset] =
+        (fixture.pixels[from + offset]! -
+          predictByte(
+            filter,
+            offset >= channels ? fixture.pixels[from + offset - channels]! : 0,
+            row > 0 ? fixture.pixels[from - stride + offset]! : 0,
+            row > 0 && offset >= channels ? fixture.pixels[from - stride + offset - channels]! : 0,
+          )) &
+        0xff;
+    }
+  }
+  return scanlines;
+}
+
+function pngChunk(type: string, data: Uint8Array): Buffer {
+  const chunk = Buffer.alloc(12 + data.length);
+  chunk.writeUInt32BE(data.length, 0);
+  chunk.write(type, 4, 'ascii');
+  chunk.set(data, 8);
+  chunk.writeUInt32BE(zlib.crc32(chunk.subarray(4, 8 + data.length)) >>> 0, 8 + data.length);
+  return chunk;
+}
+
+/** Flips a byte of the named chunk's checksum, so a reader that verifies checksums must notice. */
+export function corruptChunkChecksum(buffer: Buffer, type: string): Buffer {
+  const corrupted = Buffer.from(buffer);
+  let offset = 8;
+  while (offset + 12 <= corrupted.length) {
+    const length = corrupted.readUInt32BE(offset);
+    if (corrupted.toString('ascii', offset + 4, offset + 8) === type) {
+      const checksum = offset + 8 + length;
+      corrupted[checksum] = (corrupted[checksum] ?? 0) ^ 0xff;
+      return corrupted;
+    }
+    offset += 12 + length;
+  }
+  throw new Error(`fixture PNG carries no ${type} chunk to corrupt`);
+}
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop-bytes.test.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop-bytes.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a12dee1c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop-bytes.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,304 @@
+import { test } from 'vitest';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import fc from 'fast-check';
+import type { Rect } from '@agent-device/kernel/snapshot';
+import { cropPngBytes } from './png-crop-bytes.ts';
+import {
+  corruptChunkChecksum,
+  encodeFixturePng,
+  rampPixels,
+  readPngForTest,
+  type PngFixture,
+} from './png-codec.fixtures.ts';
+
+const OPAQUE = 255;
+const LABEL = 'screenshot';
+const PROPERTY_RUNS = 100;
+
+test('a mixed-filter RGBA capture crops to the box pixels and drops its alpha channel', () => {
+  const image = claimable(9, 6);
+  const box: Rect = { x: 2, y: 1, width: 4, height: 3 };
+
+  const cropped = cropPngBytes(encodeFixturePng(image), box, LABEL)!;
+
+  assert.equal(readPngForTest(cropped).colorType, 2, 'an opaque crop keeps no alpha channel');
+  assertCroppedPixels(cropped, image, box);
+});
+
+test('an RGB capture crops without gaining an alpha channel', () => {
+  const image: PngFixture = {
+    pixels: rampPixels(7, 5, 3),
+    width: 7,
+    height: 5,
+    channels: 3,
+    colorType: 2,
+  };
+  const box: Rect = { x: 1, y: 2, width: 3, height: 2 };
+
+  const cropped = cropPngBytes(encodeFixturePng(image), box, LABEL)!;
+
+  assert.equal(readPngForTest(cropped).colorType, 2);
+  assertCroppedPixels(cropped, image, box);
+});
+
+test('a one-pixel crop of the last row and column reads the right pixel', () => {
+  const image = claimable(6, 4);
+  const box: Rect = { x: 5, y: 3, width: 1, height: 1 };
+
+  assertCroppedPixels(cropPngBytes(encodeFixturePng(image), box, LABEL)!, image, box);
+});
+
+test('a box holding a translucent pixel keeps the alpha channel', () => {
+  const image = translucentAt(8, 5, { x: 3, y: 2 });
+  const box: Rect = { x: 2, y: 1, width: 4, height: 3 };
+
+  const cropped = cropPngBytes(encodeFixturePng(image), box, LABEL)!;
+
+  const decoded = readPngForTest(cropped);
+  assert.equal(decoded.colorType, 6);
+  assert.equal(decoded.rgba[(1 * box.width + 1) * 4 + 3], 128);
+  assertCroppedPixels(cropped, image, box);
+});
+
+test('translucency outside the box still lets the crop drop alpha', () => {
+  const image = translucentAt(8, 5, { x: 7, y: 4 });
+  const box: Rect = { x: 0, y: 0, width: 4, height: 4 };
+
+  const cropped = cropPngBytes(encodeFixturePng(image), box, LABEL)!;
+
+  assert.equal(readPngForTest(cropped).colorType, 2);
+  assertCroppedPixels(cropped, image, box);
+});
+
+test('a palette capture crops through the general reader with its colors intact', () => {
+  const width = 6;
+  const height = 5;
+  const palette = new Uint8Array(3 * 4);
+  for (let color = 0; color < 4; color += 1) {
+    palette[color * 3] = (color * 60) & 0xff;
+    palette[color * 3 + 1] = (color * 90) & 0xff;
+    palette[color * 3 + 2] = (color * 120) & 0xff;
+  }
+  const indices = new Uint8Array(width * height);
+  for (let pixel = 0; pixel < indices.length; pixel += 1) indices[pixel] = pixel % 4;
+  const box: Rect = { x: 1, y: 1, width: 3, height: 2 };
+
+  const cropped = cropPngBytes(
+    encodeFixturePng({
+      pixels: indices,
+      width,
+      height,
+      channels: 1,
+      colorType: 3,
+      palette,
+      filterFor: () => 0,
+    }),
+    box,
+    LABEL,
+  )!;
+
+  const decoded = readPngForTest(cropped);
+  assert.equal(decoded.colorType, 6, 'the general reader keeps its RGBA output');
+  for (let row = 0; row < box.height; row += 1) {
+    for (let column = 0; column < box.width; column += 1) {
+      const color = indices[(row + box.y) * width + column + box.x]!;
+      const to = (row * box.width + column) * 4;
+      assert.deepEqual(
+        [decoded.rgba[to], decoded.rgba[to + 1], decoded.rgba[to + 2]],
+        [palette[color * 3], palette[color * 3 + 1], palette[color * 3 + 2]],
+        `pixel ${column},${row}`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+test('a grayscale capture crops through the general reader', () => {
+  const width = 5;
+  const height = 4;
+  const gray = new Uint8Array(width * height);
+  for (let pixel = 0; pixel < gray.length; pixel += 1) gray[pixel] = (pixel * 21) & 0xff;
+  const box: Rect = { x: 2, y: 1, width: 2, height: 2 };
+
+  const cropped = cropPngBytes(
+    encodeFixturePng({ pixels: gray, width, height, channels: 1, colorType: 0 }),
+    box,
+    LABEL,
+  )!;
+
+  const decoded = readPngForTest(cropped);
+  for (let row = 0; row < box.height; row += 1) {
+    for (let column = 0; column < box.width; column += 1) {
+      const wanted = gray[(row + box.y) * width + column + box.x]!;
+      const to = (row * box.width + column) * 4;
+      assert.deepEqual(
+        [decoded.rgba[to], decoded.rgba[to + 1], decoded.rgba[to + 2]],
+        [wanted, wanted, wanted],
+        `pixel ${column},${row}`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+test('a box covering the whole image returns no replacement bytes', () => {
+  assert.equal(cropPngBytes(encodeFixturePng(claimable(6, 4)), fullBox(6, 4), LABEL), null);
+});
+
+test('a box covering the whole image still refuses a file that cannot be decoded', () => {
+  const buffer = encodeFixturePng(claimable(12, 9));
+
+  assert.throws(
+    () => cropPngBytes(Buffer.from(buffer.subarray(0, buffer.length - 8)), fullBox(12, 9), LABEL),
+    /Failed to decode screenshot as PNG/,
+  );
+});
+
+test('an unreadable scanline filter below the box reports the decode failure', () => {
+  const buffer = encodeFixturePng({
+    ...claimable(6, 8),
+    filterFor: (row) => (row === 7 ? 9 : 0),
+  });
+
+  assert.throws(
+    () => cropPngBytes(buffer, { x: 0, y: 0, width: 3, height: 3 }, LABEL),
+    /Failed to decode screenshot as PNG/,
+  );
+});
+
+test('bytes trailing the end of the image report the canonical decode failure', () => {
+  const withTrailer = Buffer.concat([
+    encodeFixturePng(claimable(12, 9)),
+    Buffer.from([0, 0, 1, 2]),
+  ]);
+
+  assert.throws(
+    () => cropPngBytes(withTrailer, { x: 1, y: 1, width: 4, height: 4 }, LABEL),
+    /Failed to decode screenshot as PNG/,
+  );
+});
+
+test('a corrupted image header is refused instead of cropping by its claimed dimensions', () => {
+  const corrupted = corruptChunkChecksum(encodeFixturePng(claimable(12, 9)), 'IHDR');
+
+  assert.throws(
+    () => cropPngBytes(corrupted, { x: 0, y: 0, width: 4, height: 4 }, LABEL),
+    /Failed to decode screenshot as PNG/,
+  );
+});
+
+test('a box beyond the image reports the box instead of clamping the crop', () => {
+  assert.throws(
+    () =>
+      cropPngBytes(encodeFixturePng(claimable(6, 4)), { x: 4, y: 0, width: 3, height: 2 }, LABEL),
+    /Screenshot crop box 3x2 at \(4, 0\) exceeds the 6x4 image/,
+  );
+});
+
+test('bytes that are not a PNG report the canonical decode failure', () => {
+  assert.throws(
+    () => cropPngBytes(Buffer.from('not a png at all'), { x: 0, y: 0, width: 2, height: 2 }, LABEL),
+    /Failed to decode screenshot as PNG/,
+  );
+});
+
+test('a file truncated inside its image data reports the decode failure', () => {
+  const buffer = encodeFixturePng(claimable(12, 9));
+
+  assert.throws(
+    () =>
+      cropPngBytes(
+        Buffer.from(buffer.subarray(0, buffer.length - 8)),
+        { ...fullBox(12, 9), width: 4, height: 4 },
+        LABEL,
+      ),
+    /Failed to decode screenshot as PNG/,
+  );
+});
+
+test('a corrupted image-data checksum is refused instead of cropping wrong pixels', () => {
+  const corrupted = corruptChunkChecksum(encodeFixturePng(claimable(12, 9)), 'IDAT');
+
+  assert.throws(
+    () => cropPngBytes(corrupted, { x: 0, y: 0, width: 4, height: 4 }, LABEL),
+    /Failed to decode screenshot as PNG/,
+  );
+});
+
+test('every crop of a random capture matches the pixels the file declares', () => {
+  fc.assert(
+    fc.property(
+      fc.integer({ min: 1, max: 24 }),
+      fc.integer({ min: 1, max: 24 }),
+      fc.nat(),
+      fc.array(fc.integer({ min: 0, max: 4 }), { minLength: 1 }),
+      (width, height, boxSeed, filterPlan) => {
+        const image: PngFixture = {
+          ...claimable(width, height),
+          filterFor: (row) => filterPlan[row % filterPlan.length]!,
+        };
+        const x = boxSeed % width;
+        const y = (boxSeed >>> 4) % height;
+        const box: Rect = {
+          x,
+          y,
+          width: 1 + (boxSeed % (width - x)),
+          height: 1 + ((boxSeed >>> 8) % (height - y)),
+        };
+
+        const cropped = cropPngBytes(encodeFixturePng(image), box, LABEL);
+
+        if (box.x === 0 && box.y === 0 && box.width === width && box.height === height) {
+          assert.equal(cropped, null);
+          return;
+        }
+        assert.notEqual(cropped, null);
+        assertCroppedPixels(cropped!, image, box);
+      },
+    ),
+    { numRuns: PROPERTY_RUNS },
+  );
+});
+
+function claimable(width: number, height: number): PngFixture {
+  return {
+    pixels: rampPixels(width, height, 4, () => OPAQUE),
+    width,
+    height,
+    channels: 4,
+    colorType: 6,
+  };
+}
+
+function translucentAt(
+  width: number,
+  height: number,
+  translucent: Readonly<{ x: number; y: number }>,
+): PngFixture {
+  return {
+    ...claimable(width, height),
+    pixels: rampPixels(width, height, 4, (x, y) =>
+      x === translucent.x && y === translucent.y ? 128 : OPAQUE,
+    ),
+  };
+}
+
+function fullBox(width: number, height: number): Rect {
+  return { x: 0, y: 0, width, height };
+}
+
+function assertCroppedPixels(cropped: Buffer, image: PngFixture, box: Rect): void {
+  const decoded = readPngForTest(cropped);
+  assert.deepEqual([decoded.width, decoded.height], [box.width, box.height]);
+  for (let row = 0; row < box.height; row += 1) {
+    for (let column = 0; column < box.width; column += 1) {
+      const from = ((row + box.y) * image.width + column + box.x) * image.channels;
+      const to = (row * box.width + column) * 4;
+      for (let channel = 0; channel < 3; channel += 1) {
+        assert.equal(
+          decoded.rgba[to + channel]!,
+          image.pixels[from + channel]!,
+          `pixel ${column},${row} channel ${channel}`,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop-bytes.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop-bytes.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..261b62c10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop-bytes.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import { AppError } from '@agent-device/kernel/errors';
+import type { Rect } from '@agent-device/kernel/snapshot';
+import { decodePng, PNG } from './png.ts';
+import { encodePngPixels } from './png-encode.ts';
+import { decodePngRegion, readPngRegionHeader } from './png-region-decode.ts';
+
+/**
+ * Crops PNG bytes to `box` (positive integer pixels), synchronously and without handing the
+ * decoded image to anybody else. Returns `null` when the box already covers the image, which
+ * tells the caller its file is already the answer.
+ *
+ * The region reader serves the 8-bit truecolor layout device captures arrive in and writes the
+ * result without an alpha channel when the cropped pixels carry none. Every other layout, and
+ * any file the region reader declines to interpret, goes through the general PNG reader, which
+ * owns the canonical decode error and keeps the previous RGBA output.
+ */
+export function cropPngBytes(source: Buffer, box: Rect, label: string): Buffer | null {
+  const header = readPngRegionHeader(source);
+  if (header !== null && !isFullImageBox(box, header.width, header.height)) {
+    assertCropBoxFits(box, header.width, header.height);
+    const region = decodePngRegion(source, header, box);
+    if (region !== null) {
+      return encodePngPixels(region.pixels, region.width, region.height, region.channels);
+    }
+  }
+  return cropDecodedPng(source, box, label);
+}
+
+function cropDecodedPng(bytes: Buffer, box: Rect, label: string): Buffer | null {
+  const decoded = decodePng(bytes, label);
+  assertCropBoxFits(box, decoded.width, decoded.height);
+  if (isFullImageBox(box, decoded.width, decoded.height)) return null;
+  return PNG.sync.write(copyPngBox(decoded, box));
+}
+
+function copyPngBox(source: PNG, box: Rect): PNG {
+  const output = new PNG({ width: box.width, height: box.height });
+  for (let row = 0; row < box.height; row += 1) {
+    const sourceStart = ((row + box.y) * source.width + box.x) * 4;
+    source.data.copy(output.data, row * output.width * 4, sourceStart, sourceStart + box.width * 4);
+  }
+  return output;
+}
+
+function assertCropBoxFits(box: Rect, width: number, height: number): void {
+  if (box.x + box.width > width || box.y + box.height > height) {
+    throw new AppError(
+      'INVALID_ARGS',
+      `Screenshot crop box ${box.width}x${box.height} at (${box.x}, ${box.y}) exceeds the ${width}x${height} image`,
+    );
+  }
+}
+
+function isFullImageBox(box: Rect, width: number, height: number): boolean {
+  return box.x === 0 && box.y === 0 && box.width === width && box.height === height;
+}
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop.test.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop.test.ts
index ce7cd1742..7498b8e89 100644
--- a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop.test.ts
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop.test.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ import { afterAll, test } from 'vitest';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
+import type { Rect } from '@agent-device/kernel/snapshot';
 import { PNG } from './png.ts';
 import { cropPngFile } from './png-crop.ts';
 import { terminatePngWorker } from './png-worker-client.ts';
+import { encodeFixturePng, rampPixels, readPngForTest } from './png-codec.fixtures.ts';
 import { mkdtempForTestSync } from './tmp-dir.fixtures.ts';
 
 afterAll(async () => {
@@ -64,6 +66,63 @@ test('non-integer or non-positive boxes refuse', async () => {
   }
 });
 
+test('a crop of an opaque capture is written as truecolor without an alpha channel', async () => {
+  const filePath = writeFixturePng(opaqueFixture(9, 6));
+
+  await cropPngFile(filePath, { x: 3, y: 2, width: 4, height: 3 });
+
+  const written = readPngForTest(fs.readFileSync(filePath));
+  assert.equal(written.colorType, 2);
+  assert.deepEqual([written.width, written.height], [4, 3]);
+  assertCropMatchesSource(written, opaqueFixture(9, 6), { x: 3, y: 2, width: 4, height: 3 });
+});
+
+test('a file that is not a PNG keeps the canonical decode failure', async () => {
+  const filePath = path.join(mkdtempForTestSync('agent-device-png-junk-'), 'image.png');
+  fs.writeFileSync(filePath, Buffer.from('not a png at all'));
+
+  await assert.rejects(
+    () => cropPngFile(filePath, { x: 0, y: 0, width: 2, height: 2 }),
+    /Failed to decode screenshot as PNG/,
+  );
+});
+
+function opaqueFixture(width: number, height: number) {
+  return {
+    pixels: rampPixels(width, height, 4, () => 255),
+    width,
+    height,
+    channels: 4,
+    colorType: 6,
+  };
+}
+
+function writeFixturePng(fixture: Parameters<typeof encodeFixturePng>[0]): string {
+  const filePath = path.join(mkdtempForTestSync('agent-device-png-fixture-'), 'image.png');
+  fs.writeFileSync(filePath, encodeFixturePng(fixture));
+  return filePath;
+}
+
+function assertCropMatchesSource(
+  written: ReturnType<typeof readPngForTest>,
+  fixture: Readonly<{ pixels: Uint8Array; width: number; channels: number }>,
+  box: Rect,
+): void {
+  for (let row = 0; row < box.height; row += 1) {
+    for (let column = 0; column < box.width; column += 1) {
+      const from = ((row + box.y) * fixture.width + column + box.x) * fixture.channels;
+      const to = (row * box.width + column) * 4;
+      for (let channel = 0; channel < 3; channel += 1) {
+        assert.equal(
+          written.rgba[to + channel]!,
+          fixture.pixels[from + channel]!,
+          `pixel ${column},${row} channel ${channel}`,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 // A 6x4 grid whose pixel (x, y) carries (x*10, y*10) so a wrong source offset
 // is caught by the value, not just the size.
 function writeCheckedPng(): string {
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop.ts
index 5ccedda5a..cf8e4dde2 100644
--- a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop.ts
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-crop.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 import { promises as fs } from 'node:fs';
 import { AppError } from '@agent-device/kernel/errors';
 import type { Rect } from '@agent-device/kernel/snapshot';
-import { PNG } from './png.ts';
-import { decodePngAsync, encodePngAsync } from './png-worker-client.ts';
+import { cropPngBytesAsync } from './png-worker-client.ts';
 
 /**
  * Crops `filePath` in place to `box` (positive integer pixels). `box` is the caller's
  * already-intersected region, so one outside the image is a caller bug — refused, not clamped.
- * Decode and encode run on the PNG worker thread; a full-image box is a no-op.
+ * One PNG worker job turns the captured bytes into the cropped bytes, so the decoded image never
+ * leaves the worker thread; a box that already covers the image leaves the file untouched.
  */
 export async function cropPngFile(filePath: string, box: Rect): Promise<void> {
   if (!isCropBox(box)) {
@@ -16,19 +16,10 @@ export async function cropPngFile(filePath: string, box: Rect): Promise<void> {
       'Screenshot crop box must be positive integer pixel offsets',
     );
   }
-
-  const source = await decodePngAsync(await fs.readFile(filePath), 'screenshot');
-  if (box.x + box.width > source.width || box.y + box.height > source.height) {
-    throw new AppError(
-      'INVALID_ARGS',
-      `Screenshot crop box ${box.width}x${box.height} at (${box.x}, ${box.y}) exceeds the ${source.width}x${source.height} image`,
-    );
-  }
-  if (box.x === 0 && box.y === 0 && box.width === source.width && box.height === source.height) {
-    return;
+  const cropped = await cropPngBytesAsync(await fs.readFile(filePath), box, 'screenshot');
+  if (cropped !== null) {
+    await fs.writeFile(filePath, cropped);
   }
-
-  await fs.writeFile(filePath, await encodePngAsync(cropPngBox(source, box)));
 }
 
 function isCropBox(box: Rect): boolean {
@@ -43,12 +34,3 @@ function isCropBox(box: Rect): boolean {
     box.height > 0
   );
 }
-
-function cropPngBox(source: PNG, box: Rect): PNG {
-  const output = new PNG({ width: box.width, height: box.height });
-  for (let row = 0; row < box.height; row += 1) {
-    const sourceStart = ((row + box.y) * source.width + box.x) * 4;
-    source.data.copy(output.data, row * output.width * 4, sourceStart, sourceStart + box.width * 4);
-  }
-  return output;
-}
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-encode.test.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-encode.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..393c9f5ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-encode.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+import { test } from 'vitest';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import zlib from 'node:zlib';
+import { encodePngPixels } from './png-encode.ts';
+import { decodePngRegion, readPngRegionHeader } from './png-region-decode.ts';
+import { corruptChunkChecksum, rampPixels, readPngForTest } from './png-codec.fixtures.ts';
+
+const WIDTH = 5;
+const HEIGHT = 3;
+const FULL_BOX = { x: 0, y: 0, width: WIDTH, height: HEIGHT };
+
+test('RGB pixels round-trip through a decoder as truecolor', () => {
+  const pixels = rampPixels(WIDTH, HEIGHT, 3);
+
+  const encoded = encodePngPixels(pixels, WIDTH, HEIGHT, 3);
+
+  const decoded = readPngForTest(encoded);
+  assert.equal(decoded.colorType, 2);
+  assert.equal(decoded.bitDepth, 8);
+  assert.deepEqual([decoded.width, decoded.height], [WIDTH, HEIGHT]);
+  assertSameChannelOrder(decoded.rgba, pixels, 3, 4);
+});
+
+test('RGBA pixels round-trip through a decoder keeping their alpha', () => {
+  const pixels = rampPixels(WIDTH, HEIGHT, 4, (x) => (x % 2 === 0 ? 128 : 255));
+
+  const encoded = encodePngPixels(pixels, WIDTH, HEIGHT, 4);
+
+  const decoded = readPngForTest(encoded);
+  assert.equal(decoded.colorType, 6);
+  assertSameChannelOrder(decoded.rgba, pixels, 4, 4);
+});
+
+test('every written scanline declares the None filter', () => {
+  const encoded = encodePngPixels(rampPixels(WIDTH, HEIGHT, 3), WIDTH, HEIGHT, 3);
+
+  assert.deepEqual(scanlineFilters(encoded), [0, 0, 0]);
+});
+
+test('the encoding is readable by the region reader, so its checksums are real', () => {
+  const pixels = rampPixels(WIDTH, HEIGHT, 3);
+  const encoded = encodePngPixels(pixels, WIDTH, HEIGHT, 3);
+
+  const header = readPngRegionHeader(encoded);
+  assert.notEqual(header, null);
+  const region = decodePngRegion(encoded, header!, FULL_BOX);
+  assert.notEqual(region, null);
+  assertSameChannelOrder(region!.pixels, pixels, 3, 3);
+
+  const corrupted = corruptChunkChecksum(encoded, 'IDAT');
+  assert.equal(decodePngRegion(corrupted, readPngRegionHeader(corrupted)!, FULL_BOX), null);
+});
+
+function scanlineFilters(buffer: Buffer): number[] {
+  const stride = WIDTH * 3;
+  const scanlines = zlib.inflateSync(idatOf(buffer));
+  return Array.from({ length: HEIGHT }, (_unused, row) => scanlines[row * (stride + 1)]!);
+}
+
+function idatOf(buffer: Buffer): Buffer {
+  let offset = 8;
+  while (offset + 12 <= buffer.length) {
+    const length = buffer.readUInt32BE(offset);
+    if (buffer.toString('ascii', offset + 4, offset + 8) === 'IDAT') {
+      return Buffer.from(buffer.subarray(offset + 8, offset + 8 + length));
+    }
+    offset += 12 + length;
+  }
+  throw new Error('encoded PNG carries no image data');
+}
+
+/** `pngjs` always hands back RGBA, so the comparison walks the channels that were written. */
+function assertSameChannelOrder(
+  readBack: Uint8Array,
+  written: Uint8Array,
+  channels: number,
+  readBackChannels: number,
+): void {
+  for (let pixel = 0; pixel < WIDTH * HEIGHT; pixel += 1) {
+    for (let channel = 0; channel < channels; channel += 1) {
+      assert.equal(
+        readBack[pixel * readBackChannels + channel]!,
+        written[pixel * channels + channel]!,
+        `pixel ${pixel} channel ${channel}`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-encode.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-encode.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e597d2734
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-encode.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import zlib from 'node:zlib';
+
+/**
+ * Writes decoded pixels as a PNG file: truecolor, 8-bit, `None` on every scanline, deflate level 6.
+ *
+ * The per-row filter search the general PNG writer runs is not worth its cost here. Measured on
+ * real simulator and emulator captures, scoring the five filters cost 1.4x to 2.6x the encode time
+ * and came out *larger* than `None` on UI captures, where the sum-of-absolute-differences heuristic
+ * prefers Sub or Up on text rows that deflate smaller as raw bytes. Vertical redundancy is not lost
+ * either: deflate matches whole rows, which is why repeated scanlines stay small unfiltered.
+ * Deflate level 9 bought 1 to 2 kB for double the time, and level 3 saved 6ms and cost a third more
+ * bytes, so both are declined.
+ */
+
+const SIGNATURE = Uint8Array.from([0x89, 0x50, 0x4e, 0x47, 0x0d, 0x0a, 0x1a, 0x0a]);
+const IHDR_CHUNK_TYPE = Buffer.from('IHDR', 'ascii');
+const IDAT_CHUNK_TYPE = Buffer.from('IDAT', 'ascii');
+const IEND_CHUNK_TYPE = Buffer.from('IEND', 'ascii');
+const COLOR_TYPE_RGB = 2;
+const COLOR_TYPE_RGBA = 6;
+const BIT_DEPTH_8 = 8;
+const PNG_IDAT_DEFLATE_LEVEL = 6;
+const EMPTY: Uint8Array = new Uint8Array(0);
+
+export function encodePngPixels(
+  pixels: Uint8Array,
+  width: number,
+  height: number,
+  channels: 3 | 4,
+): Buffer {
+  const header = Buffer.alloc(13);
+  header.writeUInt32BE(width, 0);
+  header.writeUInt32BE(height, 4);
+  header[8] = BIT_DEPTH_8;
+  header[9] = channels === 3 ? COLOR_TYPE_RGB : COLOR_TYPE_RGBA;
+  return Buffer.concat([
+    SIGNATURE,
+    writePngChunk(IHDR_CHUNK_TYPE, header),
+    writePngChunk(IDAT_CHUNK_TYPE, deflateScanlines(pixels, width, height, channels)),
+    writePngChunk(IEND_CHUNK_TYPE, EMPTY),
+  ]);
+}
+
+/** One filtered (filter `None`) scanline per image row, compressed as a single IDAT. */
+function deflateScanlines(
+  pixels: Uint8Array,
+  width: number,
+  height: number,
+  channels: number,
+): Uint8Array {
+  const stride = width * channels;
+  const scanlines = new Uint8Array(height * (stride + 1));
+  for (let row = 0; row < height; row += 1) {
+    const offset = row * (stride + 1) + 1;
+    scanlines.set(pixels.subarray(row * stride, (row + 1) * stride), offset);
+  }
+  return zlib.deflateSync(scanlines, { level: PNG_IDAT_DEFLATE_LEVEL });
+}
+
+function writePngChunk(type: Buffer, data: Uint8Array): Buffer {
+  const chunk = Buffer.allocUnsafe(12 + data.length);
+  chunk.writeUInt32BE(data.length, 0);
+  chunk.set(type, 4);
+  chunk.set(data, 8);
+  chunk.writeUInt32BE(zlib.crc32(data, zlib.crc32(type)) >>> 0, 8 + data.length);
+  return chunk;
+}
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-format.test.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-format.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b350433d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-format.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import { test } from 'vitest';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { pngTruecolorChannels, readPngChunks, readPngHeader } from './png-format.ts';
+import { corruptChunkChecksum, encodeFixturePng, rampPixels } from './png-codec.fixtures.ts';
+
+const TRUECOLOR_RGB = 2;
+const TRUECOLOR_RGBA = 6;
+
+test('the header reports the layout the IHDR declares', () => {
+  const buffer = encodeFixturePng(rgbaFixture(7, 3));
+
+  assert.deepEqual(readPngHeader(buffer), {
+    width: 7,
+    height: 3,
+    bitDepth: 8,
+    colorType: TRUECOLOR_RGBA,
+    compressionMethod: 0,
+    filterMethod: 0,
+    interlace: 0,
+  });
+});
+
+test('bytes that are too short or mis-signed have no header', () => {
+  assert.equal(readPngHeader(Buffer.alloc(0)), null);
+  assert.equal(readPngHeader(Buffer.alloc(28)), null);
+  assert.equal(readPngHeader(Buffer.from('png-looking bytes that are long enough')), null);
+});
+
+test('a first chunk that is not IHDR has no header', () => {
+  const buffer = Buffer.from(encodeFixturePng(rgbaFixture(4, 4)));
+  buffer.write('tEXt', 12, 'ascii');
+
+  assert.equal(readPngHeader(buffer), null);
+});
+
+test('only the truecolor layouts have a channel count here', () => {
+  assert.equal(pngTruecolorChannels(TRUECOLOR_RGB), 3);
+  assert.equal(pngTruecolorChannels(TRUECOLOR_RGBA), 4);
+  assert.equal(pngTruecolorChannels(0), null);
+  assert.equal(pngTruecolorChannels(3), null);
+  assert.equal(pngTruecolorChannels(4), null);
+});
+
+test('the chunk walk starts at IHDR and runs through IEND', () => {
+  const buffer = encodeFixturePng({
+    ...rgbaFixture(4, 3),
+    ancillary: { type: 'tEXt', data: Buffer.from('label\0crop', 'ascii') },
+  });
+
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    readPngChunks(buffer)!.map((chunk) => chunk.type),
+    ['IHDR', 'tEXt', 'IDAT', 'IEND'],
+  );
+});
+
+test('a chunk sequence that is truncated, corrupted, or never ends is refused', () => {
+  const buffer = encodeFixturePng(rgbaFixture(4, 3));
+
+  assert.equal(readPngChunks(buffer.subarray(0, buffer.length - 6)), null);
+  assert.equal(readPngChunks(corruptChunkChecksum(buffer, 'IEND')), null);
+  assert.equal(readPngChunks(Buffer.from(SIGNATURE_BYTES)), null);
+});
+
+test('bytes that do not start with the PNG signature have no chunks', () => {
+  assert.equal(readPngChunks(Buffer.from('JFIF-looking bytes that are long enough to walk')), null);
+});
+
+test('a chunk that claims to be critical but is not one of the four is refused', () => {
+  const buffer = encodeFixturePng({
+    ...rgbaFixture(4, 3),
+    ancillary: { type: 'CUty', data: new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3]) },
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(readPngChunks(buffer), null);
+});
+
+test('bytes trailing IEND are refused, because no conforming reader reaches them', () => {
+  const buffer = encodeFixturePng(rgbaFixture(4, 3));
+
+  assert.equal(readPngChunks(Buffer.concat([buffer, Buffer.from([0, 0, 1, 2, 255])])), null);
+});
+
+test('a corrupted IHDR checksum is refused, so its dimensions are never trusted', () => {
+  const buffer = corruptChunkChecksum(encodeFixturePng(rgbaFixture(4, 3)), 'IHDR');
+
+  assert.equal(readPngChunks(buffer), null);
+});
+
+const SIGNATURE_BYTES = [0x89, 0x50, 0x4e, 0x47, 0x0d, 0x0a, 0x1a, 0x0a];
+
+function rgbaFixture(width: number, height: number) {
+  return {
+    pixels: rampPixels(width, height, 4),
+    width,
+    height,
+    channels: 4,
+    colorType: TRUECOLOR_RGBA,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-format.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-format.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e7a77bed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-format.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+import zlib from 'node:zlib';
+
+/**
+ * The layout a PNG file declares in its IHDR chunk and the chunks that follow it, read without
+ * decoding pixels. A declared layout whose checksum does not match is declined like any other
+ * unrecognised layout, so nobody acts on dimensions the file itself does not vouch for.
+ *
+ * `null` means the bytes do not describe something this package understands, which is a decline
+ * rather than a diagnosis: callers route to the general PNG reader, which owns the canonical
+ * decode error.
+ */
+
+const SIGNATURE: readonly number[] = [0x89, 0x50, 0x4e, 0x47, 0x0d, 0x0a, 0x1a, 0x0a];
+const IHDR_DATA_OFFSET = 16;
+const HEADER_BYTES = IHDR_DATA_OFFSET + 13;
+const IHDR_TYPE_OFFSET = 12;
+const IHDR_CHECKSUM_OFFSET = HEADER_BYTES;
+const FIRST_CHUNK_OFFSET = 8;
+const CHUNK_ENVELOPE_BYTES = 12;
+const MAX_CHUNK_BYTES = 0x7fffffff;
+const COLOR_TYPE_RGB = 2;
+const COLOR_TYPE_RGBA = 6;
+const CRITICAL_CHUNKS: readonly string[] = ['IHDR', 'PLTE', 'IDAT', 'IEND'];
+const CHUNK_TYPE_PATTERN = /^[A-Za-z]{4}$/;
+
+export type PngHeader = Readonly<{
+  width: number;
+  height: number;
+  bitDepth: number;
+  colorType: number;
+  compressionMethod: number;
+  filterMethod: number;
+  interlace: number;
+}>;
+
+export type PngChunk = Readonly<{ type: string; data: Uint8Array }>;
+
+// A chunk name is four ASCII letters, and one starting with an uppercase letter is critical. The
+// format defines exactly four critical names, so any other claim to be critical is a file no
+// conforming reader accepts.
+function isUntrustworthyChunkType(type: string): boolean {
+  if (!CHUNK_TYPE_PATTERN.test(type)) return true;
+  return type[0]! <= 'Z' && !CRITICAL_CHUNKS.includes(type);
+}
+
+function hasSignature(bytes: Uint8Array): boolean {
+  return SIGNATURE.every((byte, index) => bytes[index] === byte);
+}
+
+export function readPngHeader(bytes: Uint8Array): PngHeader | null {
+  if (bytes.length < IHDR_CHECKSUM_OFFSET + 4 || !hasSignature(bytes)) return null;
+  const view = Buffer.from(bytes.buffer, bytes.byteOffset, bytes.byteLength);
+  if (
+    view.readUInt32BE(8) !== 13 ||
+    view.toString('ascii', IHDR_TYPE_OFFSET, IHDR_DATA_OFFSET) !== 'IHDR'
+  )
+    return null;
+  const checksummed = view.subarray(IHDR_TYPE_OFFSET, IHDR_CHECKSUM_OFFSET);
+  if (view.readUInt32BE(IHDR_CHECKSUM_OFFSET) !== zlib.crc32(checksummed) >>> 0) return null;
+  return {
+    width: view.readUInt32BE(IHDR_DATA_OFFSET),
+    height: view.readUInt32BE(IHDR_DATA_OFFSET + 4),
+    bitDepth: bytes[IHDR_DATA_OFFSET + 8]!,
+    colorType: bytes[IHDR_DATA_OFFSET + 9]!,
+    compressionMethod: bytes[IHDR_DATA_OFFSET + 10]!,
+    filterMethod: bytes[IHDR_DATA_OFFSET + 11]!,
+    interlace: bytes[IHDR_DATA_OFFSET + 12]!,
+  };
+}
+
+/** Bytes per pixel of a truecolor layout, or `null` for a layout the region reader declines. */
+export function pngTruecolorChannels(colorType: number): 3 | 4 | null {
+  if (colorType === COLOR_TYPE_RGB) return 3;
+  if (colorType === COLOR_TYPE_RGBA) return 4;
+  return null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * The chunk sequence from `IHDR` to `IEND`, each with its checksum verified.
+ *
+ * `null` reports a sequence that cannot be trusted: a length running past the end of the buffer,
+ * a checksum that does not match, an unrecognised critical chunk, a file that never reaches `IEND`,
+ * or bytes trailing it. Callers own any further chunk they decline to interpret.
+ */
+export function readPngChunks(bytes: Uint8Array): PngChunk[] | null {
+  if (!hasSignature(bytes)) return null;
+  const reader = Buffer.from(bytes.buffer, bytes.byteOffset, bytes.byteLength);
+  const chunks: PngChunk[] = [];
+  let offset = FIRST_CHUNK_OFFSET;
+  while (offset + CHUNK_ENVELOPE_BYTES <= bytes.length) {
+    const length = reader.readUInt32BE(offset);
+    if (length > MAX_CHUNK_BYTES || offset + CHUNK_ENVELOPE_BYTES + length > bytes.length) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    const checksummed = reader.subarray(offset + 4, offset + 8 + length);
+    if (reader.readUInt32BE(offset + 8 + length) !== zlib.crc32(checksummed) >>> 0) return null;
+    const type = reader.toString('ascii', offset + 4, offset + 8);
+    if (isUntrustworthyChunkType(type)) return null;
+    chunks.push({ type, data: reader.subarray(offset + 8, offset + 8 + length) });
+    // `IEND` is the end of the stream, so bytes after it are content no conforming reader sees.
+    if (type === 'IEND') {
+      return offset + CHUNK_ENVELOPE_BYTES + length === bytes.length ? chunks : null;
+    }
+    offset += CHUNK_ENVELOPE_BYTES + length;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-predictor.test.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-predictor.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4aec571ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-predictor.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { test } from 'vitest';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { addByte, paethPredictor, predictByte } from './png-predictor.ts';
+
+test('each filter predicts from the neighbours the format names', () => {
+  assert.equal(predictByte(0, 40, 60, 20), 0);
+  assert.equal(predictByte(1, 40, 60, 20), 40);
+  assert.equal(predictByte(2, 40, 60, 20), 60);
+  assert.equal(predictByte(3, 40, 60, 20), 50);
+  assert.equal(predictByte(4, 40, 60, 20), 60);
+});
+
+test('a missing neighbour reads as zero', () => {
+  assert.equal(predictByte(1, 0, 0, 0), 0);
+  assert.equal(predictByte(3, 0, 80, 0), 40);
+  assert.equal(predictByte(4, 0, 80, 0), 80);
+});
+
+test('Paeth takes the nearest of the three neighbours', () => {
+  assert.equal(paethPredictor(10, 9, 8), 10);
+  assert.equal(paethPredictor(100, 10, 90), 10);
+  assert.equal(paethPredictor(10, 200, 100), 100);
+  assert.equal(paethPredictor(0, 80, 0), 80);
+});
+
+test('reconstruction wraps at one byte, as the format requires', () => {
+  assert.equal(addByte(250, 10), 4);
+  assert.equal(addByte(4, -10), 250);
+});
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-predictor.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-predictor.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..caeb1a106
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-predictor.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/**
+ * The row predictors PNG defines, shared by whoever reads or writes a filtered scanline.
+ *
+ * Both sides must agree byte for byte: a writer and a reader that each carry their own copy of
+ * these rules drift apart silently, and the damage shows up as wrong pixels in a file that opens
+ * fine.
+ */
+
+export const PREDICT_NONE = 0;
+export const PREDICT_SUB = 1;
+export const PREDICT_UP = 2;
+const PREDICT_AVERAGE = 3;
+export const PREDICT_PAETH = 4;
+
+/** The scanline filter types a reader must be able to undo. */
+export const PNG_ROW_FILTERS: readonly number[] = [
+  PREDICT_NONE,
+  PREDICT_SUB,
+  PREDICT_UP,
+  PREDICT_AVERAGE,
+  PREDICT_PAETH,
+];
+
+/** Reconstructs one byte from its neighbours, where a missing neighbour reads as zero. */
+export function predictByte(filter: number, left: number, up: number, upperLeft: number): number {
+  switch (filter) {
+    case PREDICT_SUB:
+      return left;
+    case PREDICT_UP:
+      return up;
+    case PREDICT_AVERAGE:
+      return (left + up) >> 1;
+    case PREDICT_PAETH:
+      return paethPredictor(left, up, upperLeft);
+    default:
+      return 0;
+  }
+}
+
+export function paethPredictor(left: number, up: number, upperLeft: number): number {
+  const estimated = left + up - upperLeft;
+  const leftDistance = Math.abs(estimated - left);
+  const upDistance = Math.abs(estimated - up);
+  const upperLeftDistance = Math.abs(estimated - upperLeft);
+  if (leftDistance <= upDistance && leftDistance <= upperLeftDistance) return left;
+  return upDistance <= upperLeftDistance ? up : upperLeft;
+}
+
+export function addByte(value: number, predictor: number): number {
+  return (value + predictor) & 0xff;
+}
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-region-decode.test.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-region-decode.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f84a74dc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-region-decode.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,187 @@
+import { test } from 'vitest';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import type { Rect } from '@agent-device/kernel/snapshot';
+import {
+  decodePngRegion,
+  readPngRegionHeader,
+  type PngDecodedRegion,
+} from './png-region-decode.ts';
+import {
+  corruptChunkChecksum,
+  encodeFixturePng,
+  rampPixels,
+  type PngFixture,
+} from './png-codec.fixtures.ts';
+
+const FULL_ALPHA = 255;
+const BOX: Rect = { x: 1, y: 1, width: 3, height: 2 };
+
+test('the region reader returns the box pixels for each scanline filter', () => {
+  for (let filter = 0; filter <= 4; filter += 1) {
+    const pixels = rampPixels(5, 4, 3);
+    const region = readRegion(
+      encodeFixturePng({
+        pixels,
+        width: 5,
+        height: 4,
+        channels: 3,
+        colorType: 2,
+        filterFor: () => filter,
+      }),
+      BOX,
+    );
+
+    assert.deepEqual([region.width, region.height, region.channels], [3, 2, 3]);
+    assertSamePixels(region, pixels, 5, 3, BOX, `filter ${filter}`);
+  }
+});
+
+test('the first row reconstructs even though it has no row above it', () => {
+  for (let filter = 0; filter <= 4; filter += 1) {
+    const pixels = rampPixels(4, 3, 4, () => FULL_ALPHA);
+    const firstRow: Rect = { x: 0, y: 0, width: 4, height: 1 };
+    const region = readRegion(
+      encodeFixturePng({
+        pixels,
+        width: 4,
+        height: 3,
+        channels: 4,
+        colorType: 6,
+        filterFor: () => filter,
+      }),
+      firstRow,
+    );
+
+    assertSamePixels(region, pixels, 4, 4, firstRow, `filter ${filter} of row 0`);
+  }
+});
+
+test('an opaque region of an RGBA capture is returned without an alpha channel', () => {
+  const buffer = encodeFixturePng({
+    pixels: rampPixels(4, 3, 4, (x, y) => (x === 3 && y === 2 ? 10 : FULL_ALPHA)),
+    width: 4,
+    height: 3,
+    channels: 4,
+    colorType: 6,
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(readRegion(buffer, { x: 0, y: 0, width: 2, height: 2 }).channels, 3);
+  assert.equal(readRegion(buffer, { x: 2, y: 1, width: 2, height: 2 }).channels, 4);
+});
+
+test('an unknown scanline filter is declined rather than guessed at', () => {
+  assertStreamDecline(encodeFixturePng({ ...claimable(4, 3), filterFor: () => 9 }));
+});
+
+test('an unknown filter on a row below the region is declined too', () => {
+  assertStreamDecline(
+    encodeFixturePng({ ...claimable(4, 4), filterFor: (row) => (row === 3 ? 9 : 0) }),
+  );
+});
+
+test('a file truncated inside its image data is declined', () => {
+  const buffer = Buffer.from(encodeFixturePng(claimable(6, 5)));
+
+  assertStreamDecline(buffer.subarray(0, buffer.length - 12));
+});
+
+test('a chunk whose checksum does not match is declined', () => {
+  const buffer = corruptChunkChecksum(encodeFixturePng(claimable(4, 3)), 'IDAT');
+
+  assertStreamDecline(buffer);
+});
+
+test('a transparency chunk is left to the general reader', () => {
+  assertStreamDecline(
+    encodeFixturePng({ ...claimable(4, 3), transparency: new Uint8Array([0, 0, 0, 128]) }),
+  );
+});
+
+test('an unrelated ancillary chunk does not stop the region reader', () => {
+  const image = claimable(5, 4);
+  const buffer = encodeFixturePng({
+    ...image,
+    ancillary: { type: 'tEXt', data: new TextEncoder().encode('comment\0kept') },
+  });
+
+  assertSamePixels(readRegion(buffer, BOX), image.pixels, 5, 4, BOX, 'with a tEXt chunk');
+});
+
+test('a layout outside 8-bit non-interlaced truecolor is declined', () => {
+  assertLayoutDecline({ ...claimable(4, 3), interlace: 1 });
+  assertLayoutDecline({ ...claimable(4, 3), bitDepth: 16 });
+  assertLayoutDecline({ ...claimable(4, 3), compressionMethod: 1 });
+  assertLayoutDecline({ ...claimable(4, 3), filterMethod: 1 });
+  assertLayoutDecline({ ...claimable(4, 3), colorType: 0, channels: 1 });
+  assertLayoutDecline({ ...claimable(4, 3), colorType: 4, channels: 2 });
+});
+
+test('bytes that do not open with a readable IHDR are declined', () => {
+  assert.equal(readPngRegionHeader(Buffer.alloc(0)), null);
+  assert.equal(readPngRegionHeader(Buffer.from('not a png, and too short to be one')), null);
+  assert.equal(readPngRegionHeader(withFirstChunkType(claimable(4, 3), 'tEXt')), null);
+  assert.equal(
+    readPngRegionHeader(corruptChunkChecksum(encodeFixturePng(claimable(4, 3)), 'IHDR')),
+    null,
+  );
+});
+
+function claimable(width: number, height: number): PngFixture {
+  return {
+    pixels: rampPixels(width, height, 4, () => FULL_ALPHA),
+    width,
+    height,
+    channels: 4,
+    colorType: 6,
+  };
+}
+
+function withFirstChunkType(fixture: PngFixture, type: string): Buffer {
+  const buffer = Buffer.from(encodeFixturePng(fixture));
+  buffer.write(type, 12, 'ascii');
+  return buffer;
+}
+
+function readRegion(buffer: Buffer, box: Rect) {
+  const header = readPngRegionHeader(buffer);
+  assert.notEqual(header, null, 'the layout should be claimable');
+  const region = decodePngRegion(buffer, header!, box);
+  assert.notEqual(region, null, 'the image stream should be readable');
+  return region!;
+}
+
+function assertStreamDecline(buffer: Buffer, box: Rect = BOX): void {
+  const header = readPngRegionHeader(buffer);
+  assert.notEqual(header, null, 'the layout should be claimable');
+  assert.equal(decodePngRegion(buffer, header!, box), null, 'the image stream should be declined');
+}
+
+function assertLayoutDecline(fixture: PngFixture): void {
+  assert.equal(readPngRegionHeader(encodeFixturePng(fixture)), null);
+}
+
+/**
+ * The reader keeps alpha only when the region needs it, so the comparison walks the channel
+ * count it returned. Channel order is the same in both layouts, so index `c` matches itself.
+ */
+function assertSamePixels(
+  region: PngDecodedRegion,
+  expected: Uint8Array,
+  sourceWidth: number,
+  sourceChannels: number,
+  box: Rect,
+  message: string,
+): void {
+  const { channels } = region;
+  for (let row = 0; row < box.height; row += 1) {
+    for (let column = 0; column < box.width; column += 1) {
+      for (let channel = 0; channel < channels; channel += 1) {
+        assert.equal(
+          region.pixels[(row * box.width + column) * channels + channel]!,
+          expected[((row + box.y) * sourceWidth + column + box.x) * sourceChannels + channel]!,
+          `${message}: pixel ${column},${row} channel ${channel}`,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-region-decode.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-region-decode.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2bcac371a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-region-decode.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,251 @@
+import zlib from 'node:zlib';
+import type { Rect } from '@agent-device/kernel/snapshot';
+import {
+  type PngHeader,
+  pngTruecolorChannels,
+  readPngChunks,
+  readPngHeader,
+} from './png-format.ts';
+import {
+  addByte,
+  PNG_ROW_FILTERS,
+  predictByte,
+  PREDICT_NONE,
+  PREDICT_PAETH,
+  PREDICT_SUB,
+  PREDICT_UP,
+} from './png-predictor.ts';
+
+/**
+ * Reads one rectangular region out of a PNG file without materializing the image's pixels.
+ *
+ * The reader claims 8-bit non-interlaced truecolor (RGB and RGBA) — the layout every supported
+ * device screenshot backend emits. A deflate stream cannot be cut short: this inflates the
+ * complete image into a buffer as large as the whole image's filtered rows, and reconstructs every
+ * row above the region, because a row filter can depend on the row above it. What stops at the
+ * region is the pixel work — reconstruction ends at the region's last row, and the pixels allocated
+ * and copied are the region's alone. Anything it does not claim returns `null`, which sends the
+ * caller to the general PNG reader; that reader owns the canonical decode error, so a decline here
+ * never becomes a worse diagnosis there.
+ *
+ * `box` is expected to lie inside the header's image; the caller checks that first, because an
+ * oversized box is a caller error rather than a layout this reader declines.
+ */
+
+const COMPRESSION_DEFLATE = 0;
+const FILTER_METHOD_ADAPTIVE = 0;
+const BIT_DEPTH_8 = 8;
+const NOT_INTERLACED = 0;
+const OPAQUE_ALPHA = 255;
+
+export type PngDecodedRegion = Readonly<{
+  width: number;
+  height: number;
+  channels: 3 | 4;
+  pixels: Uint8Array;
+}>;
+
+/** The IHDR of a PNG this reader can produce region pixels for, or `null` when it cannot. */
+export function readPngRegionHeader(bytes: Uint8Array): PngHeader | null {
+  const header = readPngHeader(bytes);
+  if (
+    header === null ||
+    header.bitDepth !== BIT_DEPTH_8 ||
+    header.compressionMethod !== COMPRESSION_DEFLATE ||
+    header.filterMethod !== FILTER_METHOD_ADAPTIVE ||
+    header.interlace !== NOT_INTERLACED ||
+    pngTruecolorChannels(header.colorType) === null
+  ) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return header;
+}
+
+export function decodePngRegion(
+  source: Uint8Array,
+  header: PngHeader,
+  box: Rect,
+): PngDecodedRegion | null {
+  const channels = pngTruecolorChannels(header.colorType);
+  if (channels === null) return null;
+  const imageStream = readImageStream(source);
+  if (imageStream === null) return null;
+
+  const stride = header.width * channels;
+  const scanlineBytes = header.height * (stride + 1);
+  const scanlines = inflateScanlines(imageStream, scanlineBytes);
+  if (scanlines === null || scanlines.length < scanlineBytes) return null;
+
+  for (let row = 0; row < box.y + box.height; row += 1) {
+    if (!unfilterScanline(scanlines, row, stride, channels)) return null;
+  }
+  if (!hasReadableFiltersBelow(scanlines, box.y + box.height, header.height, stride)) return null;
+
+  // An RGB source has no alpha to carry. An RGBA source keeps it only when a pixel in the
+  // region actually needs it; otherwise the output pays for a channel nobody reads.
+  const outChannels: 3 | 4 = channels === 4 && !isRegionOpaque(scanlines, box, stride) ? 4 : 3;
+  return {
+    width: box.width,
+    height: box.height,
+    channels: outChannels,
+    pixels: copyRegionRows(scanlines, box, stride, channels, outChannels),
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Reconstructs one scanline in place. `false` reports a filter type this reader does not
+ * implement, which declines the whole region rather than guessing at pixels.
+ */
+function unfilterScanline(
+  scanlines: Uint8Array,
+  row: number,
+  stride: number,
+  channels: number,
+): boolean {
+  const data = row * (stride + 1) + 1;
+  const filter = scanlines[data - 1]!;
+  if (!PNG_ROW_FILTERS.includes(filter)) return false;
+  if (filter === PREDICT_NONE) return true;
+  // Row zero has no row above it, so every neighbour that reads upward is zero: `Up` adds
+  // nothing, and `Paeth` collapses to `Sub` because the left byte wins the tie.
+  if (row === 0) return unfilterFirstRow(scanlines, data, stride, channels, filter);
+  return unfilterRow(scanlines, data, stride, channels, filter);
+}
+
+function unfilterFirstRow(
+  scanlines: Uint8Array,
+  data: number,
+  stride: number,
+  channels: number,
+  filter: number,
+): boolean {
+  const end = data + stride;
+  if (filter === PREDICT_SUB || filter === PREDICT_PAETH) {
+    for (let at = data + channels; at < end; at += 1) {
+      scanlines[at] = addByte(scanlines[at]!, scanlines[at - channels]!);
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+  for (let at = data; at < end; at += 1) {
+    const left = at >= data + channels ? scanlines[at - channels]! : 0;
+    scanlines[at] = addByte(scanlines[at]!, predictByte(filter, left, 0, 0));
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+function unfilterRow(
+  scanlines: Uint8Array,
+  data: number,
+  stride: number,
+  channels: number,
+  filter: number,
+): boolean {
+  const end = data + stride;
+  const above = data - (stride + 1);
+  if (filter === PREDICT_SUB) {
+    for (let at = data + channels; at < end; at += 1) {
+      scanlines[at] = addByte(scanlines[at]!, scanlines[at - channels]!);
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+  if (filter === PREDICT_UP) {
+    for (let at = data; at < end; at += 1) {
+      scanlines[at] = addByte(scanlines[at]!, scanlines[above + (at - data)]!);
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+  for (let at = data; at < end; at += 1) {
+    const offset = at - data;
+    const left = at >= data + channels ? scanlines[at - channels]! : 0;
+    scanlines[at] = addByte(
+      scanlines[at]!,
+      predictByte(
+        filter,
+        left,
+        scanlines[above + offset]!,
+        at >= data + channels ? scanlines[above + offset - channels]! : 0,
+      ),
+    );
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Rows below the region are never reconstructed, so their filter bytes are read instead of applied.
+ * A filter this reader does not implement disqualifies a file wherever it sits, and the general
+ * reader is the one that says so.
+ */
+function hasReadableFiltersBelow(
+  scanlines: Uint8Array,
+  firstRow: number,
+  imageHeight: number,
+  stride: number,
+): boolean {
+  for (let row = firstRow; row < imageHeight; row += 1) {
+    if (!PNG_ROW_FILTERS.includes(scanlines[row * (stride + 1)]!)) return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+/** True when every pixel of the region is fully opaque, so the output can drop its alpha. */
+function isRegionOpaque(scanlines: Uint8Array, box: Rect, stride: number): boolean {
+  let alphaAnd = OPAQUE_ALPHA;
+  for (let row = box.y; row < box.y + box.height && alphaAnd === OPAQUE_ALPHA; row += 1) {
+    // Row layout is [filter byte][pixel bytes], and this runs only for a 4-channel source,
+    // so the first alpha sits one byte past the filter byte plus three into the first pixel.
+    const firstAlpha = row * (stride + 1) + 4;
+    for (let column = 0; column < box.width; column += 1) {
+      alphaAnd &= scanlines[firstAlpha + (box.x + column) * 4]!;
+    }
+  }
+  return alphaAnd === OPAQUE_ALPHA;
+}
+
+function copyRegionRows(
+  scanlines: Uint8Array,
+  box: Rect,
+  stride: number,
+  channels: number,
+  outChannels: number,
+): Uint8Array {
+  const outStride = box.width * outChannels;
+  const pixels = new Uint8Array(box.height * outStride);
+  for (let row = 0; row < box.height; row += 1) {
+    const data = (row + box.y) * (stride + 1) + 1 + box.x * channels;
+    const offset = row * outStride;
+    if (channels === outChannels) {
+      pixels.set(scanlines.subarray(data, data + box.width * channels), offset);
+    } else {
+      for (let column = 0; column < box.width; column += 1) {
+        const from = data + column * channels;
+        const to = offset + column * outChannels;
+        pixels[to] = scanlines[from]!;
+        pixels[to + 1] = scanlines[from + 1]!;
+        pixels[to + 2] = scanlines[from + 2]!;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return pixels;
+}
+
+function inflateScanlines(imageStream: Uint8Array, scanlineBytes: number): Uint8Array | null {
+  try {
+    return zlib.inflateSync(imageStream, { maxOutputLength: scanlineBytes });
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+/** The concatenated image data, or `null` when a chunk this reader will not interpret appears. */
+function readImageStream(bytes: Uint8Array): Uint8Array | null {
+  const chunks = readPngChunks(bytes);
+  if (chunks === null) return null;
+  const imageStreams: Uint8Array[] = [];
+  for (const chunk of chunks) {
+    // A palette or a single transparent color needs interpretation before its pixels mean
+    // anything, which is the general reader's job.
+    if (chunk.type === 'PLTE' || chunk.type === 'tRNS') return null;
+    if (chunk.type === 'IDAT') imageStreams.push(chunk.data);
+  }
+  return imageStreams.length === 0 ? null : Buffer.concat(imageStreams);
+}
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker-client.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker-client.ts
index 9208ba1d3..fba83ff10 100644
--- a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker-client.ts
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker-client.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Worker } from 'node:worker_threads';
 import { emitDiagnostic } from '@agent-device/host-kit/diagnostics';
 import { AppError, toAppErrorCode } from '@agent-device/kernel/errors';
+import type { Rect } from '@agent-device/kernel/snapshot';
 import { resolveInternalEntryModulePath } from './internal-entry.ts';
 import { decodePng, PNG } from './png.ts';
 import {
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ import {
 } from './png-worker-contract.ts';
 
 /**
- * Async wrappers that offload CPU-heavy PNG decode/encode and screenshot
+ * Async wrappers that offload CPU-heavy PNG decode/encode/crop and screenshot
  * pixel diffing to a worker thread so daemon request handlers do not block
  * the shared event loop. When the worker entry cannot be resolved or fails
  * to start, every call transparently falls back to the in-process
@@ -170,12 +171,12 @@ function runWorkerJob<Kind extends PngWorkerJobKind>(
 /** Runs a job on the worker, falling back to `runSync` when it is unavailable. */
 async function runPngJob<Kind extends PngWorkerJobKind>(
   job: PngWorkerJobFor<Kind>,
-  runSync: () => PngWorkerJobResultFor<Kind>,
+  runSync: () => PngWorkerJobResultFor<Kind> | Promise<PngWorkerJobResultFor<Kind>>,
 ): Promise<PngWorkerJobResultFor<Kind>> {
   try {
     return await runWorkerJob(job);
   } catch (error) {
-    if (error instanceof PngWorkerUnavailableError) return runSync();
+    if (error instanceof PngWorkerUnavailableError) return await runSync();
     throw error;
   }
 }
@@ -213,6 +214,24 @@ export async function encodePngAsync(png: PNG): Promise<Buffer> {
   return toBuffer(result.png);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Crops encoded PNG bytes to `box`, returning the new encoding, or `null` when `box` already
+ * covers the image so the caller keeps the bytes it has.
+ */
+export async function cropPngBytesAsync(
+  source: Buffer,
+  box: Rect,
+  label: string,
+): Promise<Buffer | null> {
+  const result = await runPngJob({ kind: 'crop', png: source, label, box }, async () => {
+    // Read on demand so the region reader's modules stay out of the import closure of every
+    // entry that only needs the worker's other jobs.
+    const { cropPngBytes } = await import('./png-crop-bytes.ts');
+    return { kind: 'crop', png: cropPngBytes(source, box, label) };
+  });
+  return result.png === null ? null : toBuffer(result.png);
+}
+
 export async function computePngRgbDifferenceAsync(
   firstPng: Buffer,
   secondPng: Buffer,
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker-contract.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker-contract.ts
index 3d0a76363..67dfd0b8c 100644
--- a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker-contract.ts
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker-contract.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { NormalizedError } from '@agent-device/kernel/errors';
+import type { Rect } from '@agent-device/kernel/snapshot';
 import type {
   ScreenshotDiffPixelsJob,
   ScreenshotDiffPixelsResult,
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@ import type { PngRgbDifferenceResult } from './png-rgb-difference.ts';
 /**
  * Message contract between the daemon-side PNG worker client
  * (`png-worker-client.ts`) and the worker thread entry (`png-worker.ts`).
- * One message = one decode, encode, or diff job. Binary payloads cross the
+ * One message = one decode, encode, crop, or diff job. Binary payloads cross the
  * thread boundary via structured clone (or transfer), so `Buffer` fields
  * arrive as plain `Uint8Array` views on the receiving side.
  */
@@ -16,12 +17,15 @@ import type { PngRgbDifferenceResult } from './png-rgb-difference.ts';
 export type PngWorkerJob =
   | { kind: 'decode'; png: Uint8Array; label: string }
   | { kind: 'encode'; width: number; height: number; data: Uint8Array }
+  | { kind: 'crop'; png: Uint8Array; label: string; box: Rect }
   | { kind: 'rgb-difference'; firstPng: Uint8Array; secondPng: Uint8Array; label: string }
   | ({ kind: 'diff-pixels' } & ScreenshotDiffPixelsJob);
 
 export type PngWorkerJobResult =
   | { kind: 'decode'; width: number; height: number; data: Uint8Array }
   | { kind: 'encode'; png: Uint8Array }
+  // A crop answers `null` when the box already covers the image, so the caller keeps the file.
+  | { kind: 'crop'; png: Uint8Array | null }
   | ({ kind: 'rgb-difference' } & PngRgbDifferenceResult)
   | ({ kind: 'diff-pixels' } & ScreenshotDiffPixelsResult);
 
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker.test.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker.test.ts
index e4a2d9b14..9bc7f3b90 100644
--- a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker.test.ts
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker.test.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@ test('resultTransferList skips views that do not own their whole ArrayBuffer', (
   assert.deepEqual(resultTransferList({ kind: 'encode', png: shortView }), []);
 });
 
+test('resultTransferList transfers a cropped encoding and skips an untouched file', () => {
+  const cropped = Buffer.alloc(32); // Buffer.alloc never uses the shared pool
+
+  assert.deepEqual(resultTransferList({ kind: 'crop', png: cropped }), [cropped.buffer]);
+  assert.deepEqual(resultTransferList({ kind: 'crop', png: null }), []);
+});
+
 test('resultTransferList transfers only the fully-owned views of a mixed result', () => {
   const ownedDiffData = Buffer.alloc(16); // Buffer.alloc never uses the shared pool
   const pooledMask = new Uint8Array(new ArrayBuffer(32), 4, 8); // offset view, pooled-Buffer shape
diff --git a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker.ts b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker.ts
index 3da1a5dbe..3d980393f 100644
--- a/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker.ts
+++ b/packages/capture-kit/src/png-worker.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { parentPort } from 'node:worker_threads';
 import { normalizeError } from '@agent-device/kernel/errors';
+import { cropPngBytes } from './png-crop-bytes.ts';
 import { decodePng, PNG } from './png.ts';
 import { computeScreenshotDiffPixels } from './screenshot-diff-pixels.ts';
 import { computePngRgbDifference } from './png-rgb-difference.ts';
@@ -27,6 +28,12 @@ function runJob(request: PngWorkerRequest): PngWorkerJobResult {
       png.data = toBuffer(request.data);
       return { kind: 'encode', png: PNG.sync.write(png) };
     }
+    case 'crop': {
+      return {
+        kind: 'crop',
+        png: cropPngBytes(toBuffer(request.png), request.box, request.label),
+      };
+    }
     case 'rgb-difference': {
       const first = decodePng(toBuffer(request.firstPng), request.label);
       const second = decodePng(toBuffer(request.secondPng), request.label);
@@ -68,6 +75,8 @@ function resultBufferViews(result: PngWorkerJobResult): Uint8Array[] {
       return [result.data];
     case 'encode':
       return [result.png];
+    case 'crop':
+      return result.png === null ? [] : [result.png];
     case 'rgb-difference':
       return [];
     case 'diff-pixels':
diff --git a/website/docs/docs/commands.md b/website/docs/docs/commands.md
index 932c34255..aa27d2521 100644
--- a/website/docs/docs/commands.md
+++ b/website/docs/docs/commands.md
@@ -947,7 +947,7 @@ agent-device record stop                # Stop active recording
 - Set `AGENT_DEVICE_SCREENSHOT_SCALE=0.3` (or `screenshotScale` in config) as a token-conscious screenshot default for agent workflows. An explicit `--scale` overrides it.
 - Keep the scale default unset, or use `--scale 1`, when full-resolution screenshots are required for reusable pixel-diff baselines.
 - `screenshot --overlay-refs` captures a fresh full snapshot and burns visible `@eN` refs plus their target rectangles into the saved PNG.
-- `screenshot --crop-on <selector>` captures a fresh full snapshot of the same screen and crops the saved PNG to the frame the selector resolves to. The selector must resolve to exactly one framed node; the result carries a `warnings` entry when the frame is clipped to the image. Currently accepted on iOS simulators and Android emulators — every other target is refused before any device work, and the flag cannot be combined with `--overlay-refs` or `--fullscreen` because both move the captured frame away from the snapshot viewport the crop is measured against.
+- `screenshot --crop-on <selector>` captures a fresh full snapshot of the same screen and crops the saved PNG to the frame the selector resolves to. The crop is re-encoded, so byte-comparing it against an older crop of the same frame is unreliable; a crop whose pixels are all opaque is written as truecolor RGB, while one containing transparency keeps RGBA. The selector must resolve to exactly one framed node; the result carries a `warnings` entry when the frame is clipped to the image. Currently accepted on iOS simulators and Android emulators — every other target is refused before any device work, and the flag cannot be combined with `--overlay-refs` or `--fullscreen` because both move the captured frame away from the snapshot viewport the crop is measured against.
 - `screenshot --normalize-status-bar` temporarily normalizes iOS simulator status-bar chrome for deterministic screenshot baselines; ordinary screenshots leave the simulator's current chrome visible.
 - `screenshot --scale <factor> --overlay-refs` writes a smaller image and draws refs for that final image size; avoid very small scales when text, icons, or labels need to remain readable.
 - `diff screenshot` compares the current live screenshot to `--baseline`, or compares `--baseline` to an optional saved `current.png` path without requiring an active session. Its text output reports ranked changed regions with screen-space rectangles, changed-pixel counts, and each region's share of the diff; JSON also includes normalized rectangles. The earlier best-effort `ocr` and `nonTextDeltas` analyzers are retired; their optional result fields remain for source compatibility but are no longer emitted, so use the baseline/current images and diff artifact with vision for qualitative interpretation. It writes a diff PNG with a light grayscale current-screen context, red-tinted changed pixels, and outlined changed regions when `--out` is provided. Live iOS simulator diffs normalize status-bar chrome by default; use `screenshot --normalize-status-bar` when capturing reusable baselines.