diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dock.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dock.rs
index 00c483b9..667cb19e 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dock.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dock.rs
@@ -111,9 +111,10 @@ impl Group {
         }
     }
 
-    /// Tabs that lay out their own scrolling list and footer (they fill the group).
+    /// Tabs that lay out their own scrolling list and footer, or size themselves to the group
+    /// (the Navigator's preview grows with it, as in Photoshop: #2726).
     pub fn scrolls_itself(self, tab: usize) -> bool {
-        matches!((self, tab), (Group::Layers, 0) | (Group::History, 0))
+        matches!((self, tab), (Group::Layers, 0) | (Group::History, 0) | (Group::Navigator, 0))
     }
 
     fn tab_mut(self, tabs: &mut DockTabs) -> &mut usize {
@@ -481,6 +482,9 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut PhotocraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, shown: &[Group], mut bod
                 if t.pro && g == Group::Color && tab == 0 {
                     ui.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(crate::panels::color_field_fill_id(), inner));
                 }
+                // No scroll fade: it darkens real colours, swatches and previews at the edge
+                // (#2726); the scroll bar already shows there is more.
+                ui.spacing_mut().scroll.fade.strength = 0.0;
                 egui::ScrollArea::vertical()
                     .id_salt(("dock-scroll", g.key(), tab))
                     .max_height(inner)
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dock_tests.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dock_tests.rs
index 94c33311..d1417aef 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dock_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dock_tests.rs
@@ -821,6 +821,43 @@ fn tab_hides_all_panels_and_shift_tab_only_the_dock() {
     assert!(serde_json::from_value::<crate::state::Panels>(v).unwrap().dock);
 }
 
+/// #2726: the Navigator sizes its own preview to the group (no outer scroll area, so no scroll
+/// fade over the thumbnail), keeping the document's aspect, with the zoom controls below it.
+#[test]
+fn navigator_preview_fills_its_group_and_keeps_aspect() {
+    assert!(Group::Navigator.scrolls_itself(0), "the Navigator tab lays itself out");
+    assert!(!Group::Navigator.scrolls_itself(1) && !Group::Navigator.scrolls_itself(2), "Histogram and Info still scroll");
+    for theme in [ThemeKind::ProMedium, ThemeKind::Studio] {
+        let mut sizes = Vec::new();
+        for tall in [150.0, 260.0, 420.0] {
+            let mut h = Harness::builder().with_size(vec2(1200.0, 1000.0)).with_max_steps(64).build_eframe(move |cc| {
+                PhotocraftApp::setup_context(&cc.egui_ctx, theme);
+                let mut app = PhotocraftApp::new(photocraft_engine::Session::new(), crate::Services::default());
+                app.ui.theme = theme;
+                app.ui.panels.navigator = true;
+                app.ui.dock.heights.insert(Group::Navigator, tall);
+                app.run("file.new", json!({"width": 200, "height": 300})).unwrap();
+                app.sync_views();
+                app
+            });
+            h.run_steps(8);
+            let group = rect_of(&h, Group::Navigator);
+            let preview = crate::panels::last_navigator_preview(&h.ctx).unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("{theme:?} {tall}: no preview drawn"));
+            assert!((group.height() - tall).abs() < 1.0, "{theme:?}: group {group:?}");
+            assert!(group.contains_rect(preview), "{theme:?} {tall}: preview {preview:?} outside {group:?}");
+            assert!((preview.width() / preview.height() - 2.0 / 3.0).abs() < 0.02, "{theme:?} {tall}: aspect {preview:?}");
+            // The zoom controls stay inside the group, below the preview.
+            let controls = crate::panels::last_navigator_controls(&h.ctx).unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("{theme:?} {tall}: no controls"));
+            assert!(controls.top() >= preview.bottom() && controls.bottom() <= group.bottom() + 0.5, "{theme:?} {tall}: {controls:?} {preview:?} {group:?}");
+            sizes.push(preview);
+        }
+        // A portrait document grows with every extra point of height the group gets.
+        for pair in sizes.windows(2) {
+            assert!(pair[1].height() > pair[0].height() + 80.0, "{theme:?}: {sizes:?}");
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn strip_tabs(h: &Harness<'static, PhotocraftApp>, g: Group) -> Vec<(usize, Rect)> {
     last_strips(&h.ctx).into_iter().find(|s| s.group == g).map(|s| s.tabs).unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("{g:?} strip not drawn"))
 }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels.rs
index 6b03ce7b..291c1601 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels.rs
@@ -1645,15 +1645,18 @@ fn navigator(app: &mut PhotocraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui) {
     let Some(tex) = crate::canvas::navigator_texture(app, &ctx, idx) else { return };
     let size = app.session.documents()[idx].doc.size;
     let avail = ui.available_width();
-    let box_h = 150.0;
+    // The preview fills the group's height above the zoom controls (their height as measured
+    // last frame), so it grows when the group is made taller, as in Photoshop (#2726).
+    let controls_h = ui.data(|d| d.get_temp::<f32>(navigator_controls_id())).unwrap_or(48.0);
+    let left = ui.available_height() - controls_h;
+    let box_h = if left.is_finite() { left.max(40.0) } else { 150.0 };
     let (frame, resp) = ui.allocate_exact_size(vec2(avail, box_h), Sense::click_and_drag());
     ui.painter().rect_filled(frame, t.radius_sm, t.canvas);
-    let aspect = size.width as f32 / size.height.max(1) as f32;
-    let (w, h) = if aspect > avail / box_h { (avail - 16.0, (avail - 16.0) / aspect) } else { ((box_h - 16.0) * aspect, box_h - 16.0) };
-    let rect = Rect::from_center_size(frame.center(), vec2(w, h));
+    let rect = navigator_fit(frame, size.width, size.height);
+    ui.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(navigator_preview_id(), rect));
     widgets::checker(ui.painter(), rect, 6.0);
     ui.painter().image(tex, rect, Rect::from_min_max(egui::Pos2::ZERO, pos2(1.0, 1.0)), Color32::WHITE);
-    let s = w / size.width as f32;
+    let s = rect.width() / size.width.max(1) as f32;
     if (resp.clicked() || resp.dragged())
         && let Some(pp) = resp.interact_pointer_pos()
     {
@@ -1685,28 +1688,69 @@ fn navigator(app: &mut PhotocraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui) {
     let c = pos2(rect.min.x + v.center[0] * s, rect.min.y + v.center[1] * s);
     let vr = Rect::from_center_size(c, vec2(vw, vh)).intersect(frame.shrink(1.0));
     ui.painter().rect_stroke(vr, 2.0, Stroke::new(1.5, Color32::from_rgb(255, 84, 84)), StrokeKind::Middle);
-    ui.add_space(4.0);
-    ui.horizontal(|ui| {
-        label(ui, tl!("Zoom"));
-        ui.with_layout(egui::Layout::right_to_left(egui::Align::Center), |ui| {
-            for (lbl, z) in [("200%", 2.0), ("100%", 1.0)] {
-                if widgets::pill_tab(ui, lbl, (v.zoom - z).abs() < 1e-3).clicked() {
-                    app.ui.views[idx].zoom = z;
-                    app.ui.views[idx].fit_pending = false;
+    let controls = ui.vertical(|ui| {
+        ui.add_space(4.0);
+        ui.horizontal(|ui| {
+            label(ui, tl!("Zoom"));
+            ui.with_layout(egui::Layout::right_to_left(egui::Align::Center), |ui| {
+                for (lbl, z) in [("200%", 2.0), ("100%", 1.0)] {
+                    if widgets::pill_tab(ui, lbl, (v.zoom - z).abs() < 1e-3).clicked() {
+                        app.ui.views[idx].zoom = z;
+                        app.ui.views[idx].fit_pending = false;
+                    }
                 }
-            }
-            if widgets::pill_tab(ui, tl!("Fit"), false).clicked() {
-                app.ui.views[idx].fit_pending = true;
-            }
+                if widgets::pill_tab(ui, tl!("Fit"), false).clicked() {
+                    app.ui.views[idx].fit_pending = true;
+                }
+            });
         });
+        // The whole zoom range, and always the current zoom: a narrower slider would pull it back.
+        let (lo, hi) = (crate::zoom_levels::min(v.doc_size).min(v.zoom).log2(), crate::zoom_levels::MAX.max(v.zoom).log2());
+        let mut lz = v.zoom.log2();
+        if lz.is_finite() && widgets::slider(ui, &mut lz, lo..=hi, None).changed() {
+            app.ui.views[idx].zoom = crate::zoom_levels::clamp(2f32.powf(lz), v.doc_size);
+            app.ui.views[idx].fit_pending = false;
+        }
     });
-    // The whole zoom range, and always the current zoom: a narrower slider would pull it back.
-    let (lo, hi) = (crate::zoom_levels::min(v.doc_size).min(v.zoom).log2(), crate::zoom_levels::MAX.max(v.zoom).log2());
-    let mut lz = v.zoom.log2();
-    if lz.is_finite() && widgets::slider(ui, &mut lz, lo..=hi, None).changed() {
-        app.ui.views[idx].zoom = crate::zoom_levels::clamp(2f32.powf(lz), v.doc_size);
-        app.ui.views[idx].fit_pending = false;
-    }
+    // From the preview's bottom, so the spacing above the controls counts too.
+    let controls = Rect::from_min_max(pos2(frame.left(), frame.bottom()), pos2(frame.right(), controls.response.rect.bottom()));
+    ui.data_mut(|d| {
+        d.insert_temp(navigator_controls_id(), controls.height());
+        d.insert_temp(navigator_controls_rect_id(), controls);
+    });
+}
+
+/// The document's `w` × `h` fitted inside the Navigator's `frame` with an 8 pt inset, centred and
+/// keeping its aspect.
+fn navigator_fit(frame: Rect, w: u32, h: u32) -> Rect {
+    let inner = (frame.size() - vec2(16.0, 16.0)).max(vec2(1.0, 1.0));
+    let (w, h) = (w.max(1) as f32, h.max(1) as f32);
+    let s = (inner.x / w).min(inner.y / h);
+    Rect::from_center_size(frame.center(), vec2(w * s, h * s))
+}
+
+fn navigator_preview_id() -> egui::Id {
+    egui::Id::new("navigator-preview-rect")
+}
+
+fn navigator_controls_id() -> egui::Id {
+    egui::Id::new("navigator-controls-height")
+}
+
+fn navigator_controls_rect_id() -> egui::Id {
+    egui::Id::new("navigator-controls-rect")
+}
+
+/// Where the Navigator drew its document preview last frame.
+#[cfg(test)]
+pub(crate) fn last_navigator_preview(ctx: &egui::Context) -> Option<Rect> {
+    ctx.data(|d| d.get_temp(navigator_preview_id()))
+}
+
+/// The Navigator's zoom controls (below the preview) last frame.
+#[cfg(test)]
+pub(crate) fn last_navigator_controls(ctx: &egui::Context) -> Option<Rect> {
+    ctx.data(|d| d.get_temp(navigator_controls_rect_id()))
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -1741,7 +1785,9 @@ mod navigator_wheel_tests {
         assert_eq!(app.ui.views[0].center, center, "Navigator wheel must not pan");
         frame(&mut app, &ctx, pos2(50.0, 55.0), -1.0);
         assert!((app.ui.views[0].zoom - 1.0).abs() < 1e-4);
-        frame(&mut app, &ctx, pos2(50.0, 400.0), 1.0);
+        // Below the preview (it now fills the group, #2726): over the zoom controls.
+        let below = last_navigator_controls(&ctx).map_or(pos2(50.0, 455.0), |r| pos2(r.left() + 4.0, r.bottom() - 2.0));
+        frame(&mut app, &ctx, below, 1.0);
         assert!((app.ui.views[0].zoom - 1.0).abs() < 1e-4, "wheel outside preview leaves zoom unchanged");
     }
 }