diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/item_editing_tool.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/item_editing_tool.xml
index 18f207fb62f7..9e6d7297f584 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/item_editing_tool.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/item_editing_tool.xml
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <!--
-     one tool of EditingTools, a square so that a row of them reads as a row. The slot is there on
-     every tool, holding something or not, so the icons sit on one line - and it is deep, because
-     a bar close under the ink reads as uneven where a glyph dips.
+     one tool of EditingTools. The slot is there on every tool, holding something or not, so the
+     icons sit on one line, and it is just deep enough for the caption - a tool carrying nothing
+     reads as empty for every dp over that.
 -->
 <LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
         xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
         android:layout_width="48dp"
-        android:layout_height="48dp"
+        android:layout_height="40dp"
         android:background="@drawable/bg_editing_tool"
         android:clickable="true"
         android:focusable="true"
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
     <FrameLayout
             android:layout_width="match_parent"
-            android:layout_height="17dp">
+            android:layout_height="12dp">
 
         <!-- the colour the tool applies, which is what a tap uses -->
         <View
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/item_editing_tool_badge.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/item_editing_tool_badge.xml
index 47412b4ef631..eec65019041b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/item_editing_tool_badge.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/item_editing_tool_badge.xml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <!-- in front of the tools in the free app: the word that says whose they are -->
 <TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
         android:layout_width="wrap_content"
-        android:layout_height="48dp"
+        android:layout_height="40dp"
         android:layout_marginEnd="4dp"
         android:background="@drawable/bg_editing_tool"
         android:clickable="true"
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/view_editing_tools.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/view_editing_tools.xml
index a75d5132dc1c..c9e3c344b3e1 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/view_editing_tools.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/view_editing_tools.xml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
             android:gravity="center"
             android:orientation="horizontal"
             android:paddingStart="8dp"
-            android:paddingTop="4dp"
+            android:paddingTop="3dp"
             android:paddingEnd="8dp"
-            android:paddingBottom="4dp" />
+            android:paddingBottom="3dp" />
 </merge>