diff --git a/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/interactions.ts b/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/interactions.ts
index 6895ba0..e5b0a7c 100644
--- a/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/interactions.ts
+++ b/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/interactions.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { layout } from '../stores/layout.svelte.js';
-import { isCurvedType, isEpcType, SYMBOLS, EPC_CONFIG } from '../symbols.js';
+import { isCurvedType, isEpcType, getSymbolGroup, SYMBOLS, EPC_CONFIG } from '../symbols.js';
 import type { EpcWaypoint } from '../types.js';
 import { getAABB, snapToGrid, clamp, findValidPosition } from './collision.js';
 import { orientedBoxCorners, pastDragThreshold } from './geometry.js';
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const CONVEYOR_MIN_W = 40;
 const DRAG_THRESHOLD = 4; // pixels before drag actually starts
 
 interface DragState {
-  type: 'palette' | 'move' | 'multi-move' | 'resize-left' | 'resize-right' | 'resize-spur-top' | 'resize-spur-bottom' | 'epc-waypoint' | 'pdf' | 'assign-label';
+  type: 'palette' | 'move' | 'multi-move' | 'resize-left' | 'resize-right' | 'resize-spur-top' | 'resize-spur-bottom' | 'epc-waypoint' | 'pdf' | 'assign-label' | 'marquee';
   placedId?: number;
   offsetX?: number;
   offsetY?: number;
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ interface DragState {
 
 let dragState: DragState | null = null;
 let isPanning = false;
+
+// Marquee selection rectangle (canvas coords), accessible by renderer
+export let marqueeRect: { x: number; y: number; w: number; h: number } | null = null;
 let panStartX = 0;
 let panStartY = 0;
 let canvasEl: HTMLCanvasElement | null = null;
@@ -243,11 +246,17 @@ function onCanvasMousedown(e: MouseEvent) {
     }
     layout.markDirty();
   } else {
-    // Click on empty space
+    // Empty space: start marquee selection
     if (!e.shiftKey) {
       layout.selectedIds = new Set();
-      layout.markDirty();
     }
+    dragState = {
+      type: 'marquee',
+      startX: pos.x,
+      startY: pos.y,
+      dragActivated: false,
+    };
+    layout.markDirty();
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/render-theme.ts b/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/render-theme.ts
index b89c7d8..731e428 100644
--- a/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/render-theme.ts
+++ b/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/render-theme.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export const THEME = {
   },
   label: {
     color: '#e94560',
-    font: '10px sans-serif',
+    font: '3px sans-serif',
     offsetY: -3,
   },
   resizeHandle: {
diff --git a/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/renderer.ts b/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/renderer.ts
index 549a78a..3dcb8d9 100644
--- a/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/renderer.ts
+++ b/svelte-app/src/lib/canvas/renderer.ts
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ function drawSymbolOverlays(ctx: CanvasRenderingContext2D, sym: PlacedSymbol) {
     ctx.fillStyle = THEME.label.color;
     ctx.font = THEME.label.font;
     const metrics = ctx.measureText(sym.label);
-    const textH = 10; // approximate font height
+    const textH = 3; // approximate font height
     if (sym.w >= metrics.width + 4 && sym.h >= textH + 4) {
       ctx.textAlign = 'center';
       ctx.textBaseline = 'middle';