diff --git a/src/lib/direct.cpp b/src/lib/direct.cpp
index a92e5f022..34493c1d9 100644
--- a/src/lib/direct.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/direct.cpp
@@ -513,8 +513,14 @@ ncdirectv* ncdirect_render_frame(ncdirect* n, const char* file,
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
     return nullptr;
   }
+  blitterargs bargs = {
+    .pixel = {
+      .celldimx = n->tcache.cellpixx,
+      .colorregs = n->tcache.color_registers,
+    },
+  };
   if(ncvisual_blit(ncv, disprows, dispcols, ncdv, bset,
-                   0, 0, 0, 0, leny, lenx, n->tcache.cellpixx)){
+                   0, 0, 0, 0, leny, lenx, &bargs)){
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
     free_plane(ncdv);
     return nullptr;
diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index 08d79995b..207cacbc7 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -873,7 +873,7 @@ ALLOC char* ncplane_vprintf_prep(const char* format, va_list ap);
 int ncvisual_blit(struct ncvisual* ncv, int rows, int cols,
                   ncplane* n, const struct blitset* bset,
                   int placey, int placex, int begy, int begx,
-                  int leny, int lenx, unsigned blendcolors);
+                  int leny, int lenx, const blitterargs* bargs);
 
 void nclog(const char* fmt, ...);
 
@@ -1228,12 +1228,9 @@ API const struct blitset* lookup_blitset(const tinfo* tcache, ncblitter_e setid,
 static inline int
 rgba_blit_dispatch(ncplane* nc, const struct blitset* bset, int placey,
                    int placex, int linesize, const void* data, int begy,
-                   int begx, int leny, int lenx, unsigned blendcolors){
-  blitterargs bargs = {
-    .blendcolors = blendcolors,
-  };
+                   int begx, int leny, int lenx, const blitterargs* bargs){
   return bset->blit(nc, placey, placex, linesize, data, begy, begx,
-                    leny, lenx, &bargs);
+                    leny, lenx, bargs);
 }
 
 static inline const struct blitset*
@@ -1260,7 +1257,7 @@ typedef struct ncvisual_implementation {
   int (*visual_blit)(struct ncvisual* ncv, int rows, int cols, ncplane* n,
                      const struct blitset* bset, int placey, int placex,
                      int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx,
-                     unsigned blendcolors);
+                     const blitterargs* barg);
   struct ncvisual* (*visual_create)(void);
   struct ncvisual* (*visual_from_file)(const char* fname);
   // ncv constructors other than ncvisual_from_file() need to set up the
diff --git a/src/lib/visual.cpp b/src/lib/visual.cpp
index 990944051..bea83179a 100644
--- a/src/lib/visual.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/visual.cpp
@@ -16,16 +16,16 @@ auto ncvisual_decode(ncvisual* nc) -> int {
 auto ncvisual_blit(ncvisual* ncv, int rows, int cols, ncplane* n,
                    const struct blitset* bset, int placey, int placex,
                    int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx,
-                   unsigned blendcolors) -> int {
+                   const blitterargs* barg) -> int {
   int ret = -1;
   if(visual_implementation){
     if(visual_implementation->visual_blit(ncv, rows, cols, n, bset, placey, placex,
-                           begy, begx, leny, lenx, blendcolors) >= 0){
+                           begy, begx, leny, lenx, barg) >= 0){
       ret = 0;
     }
   }else{
     if(rgba_blit_dispatch(n, bset, placey, placex, ncv->rowstride, ncv->data,
-                          begy, begx, leny, lenx, blendcolors) >= 0){
+                          begy, begx, leny, lenx, barg) >= 0){
       ret = 0;
     }
   }
@@ -471,8 +471,10 @@ auto ncvisual_render_cells(notcurses* nc, ncvisual* ncv, const blitset* bset,
   leny = (leny / (double)ncv->rows) * ((double)disprows);
   lenx = (lenx / (double)ncv->cols) * ((double)dispcols);
 //fprintf(stderr, "blit: %dx%d:%d+%d of %d/%d stride %u %p\n", begy, begx, leny, lenx, ncv->rows, ncv->cols, ncv->rowstride, ncv->data);
+  blitterargs bargs;
+  bargs.blendcolors = blendcolors;
   if(ncvisual_blit(ncv, disprows, dispcols, n, bset,
-                   placey, placex, begy, begx, leny, lenx, blendcolors)){
+                   placey, placex, begy, begx, leny, lenx, &bargs)){
     ncplane_destroy(n);
     return nullptr;
   }
@@ -524,9 +526,11 @@ auto ncvisual_render_pixels(tinfo* tcache, ncvisual* ncv, const blitset* bset,
     scale_visual(ncv, &disprows, &dispcols);
   }
 //fprintf(stderr, "pblit: %dx%d <- %dx%d of %d/%d stride %u @%dx%d %p %u\n", disprows, dispcols, begy, begx, ncv->rows, ncv->cols, ncv->rowstride, placey, placex, ncv->data, ncplane_notcurses(stdn)->tcache.cellpixx);
+  blitterargs bargs;
+  bargs.pixel.celldimx = ncplane_notcurses(stdn)->tcache.cellpixx;
+  bargs.pixel.colorregs = ncplane_notcurses(stdn)->tcache.color_registers;
   if(ncvisual_blit(ncv, disprows, dispcols, n, bset,
-                   placey, placex, begy, begx, disprows, dispcols,
-                   ncplane_notcurses(stdn)->tcache.cellpixx)){
+                   placey, placex, begy, begx, disprows, dispcols, &bargs)){
     ncplane_destroy(n);
     return nullptr;
   }
diff --git a/src/media/ffmpeg.cpp b/src/media/ffmpeg.cpp
index 67cd4db51..ad318ff02 100644
--- a/src/media/ffmpeg.cpp
+++ b/src/media/ffmpeg.cpp
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ int ffmpeg_decode_loop(ncvisual* ncv){
 
 int ffmpeg_blit(ncvisual* ncv, int rows, int cols, ncplane* n,
                 const struct blitset* bset, int placey, int placex,
-                int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx, unsigned blendcolors) {
+                int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx, const blitterargs* bargs) {
   const AVFrame* inframe = ncv->details->oframe ? ncv->details->oframe : ncv->details->frame;
 //fprintf(stderr, "inframe: %p oframe: %p frame: %p\n", inframe, ncv->details->oframe, ncv->details->frame);
   void* data = nullptr;
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ int ffmpeg_blit(ncvisual* ncv, int rows, int cols, ncplane* n,
   }
 //fprintf(stderr, "place: %d/%d rows/cols: %d/%d %d/%d+%d/%d\n", placey, placex, rows, cols, begy, begx, leny, lenx);
   if(rgba_blit_dispatch(n, bset, placey, placex, stride, data, begy, begx,
-                        leny, lenx, blendcolors) < 0){
+                        leny, lenx, bargs) < 0){
 //fprintf(stderr, "rgba dispatch failed!\n");
     if(sframe){
       av_freep(sframe->data);
diff --git a/src/media/oiio.cpp b/src/media/oiio.cpp
index 8fdae1eb8..ac289a12a 100644
--- a/src/media/oiio.cpp
+++ b/src/media/oiio.cpp
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ int oiio_resize(ncvisual* nc, int rows, int cols) {
 int oiio_blit(struct ncvisual* ncv, int rows, int cols,
               ncplane* n, const struct blitset* bset,
               int placey, int placex, int begy, int begx,
-              int leny, int lenx, unsigned blendcolors) {
+              int leny, int lenx, const blitterargs* bargs) {
 //fprintf(stderr, "%d/%d -> %d/%d on the resize\n", ncv->rows, ncv->cols, rows, cols);
   void* data = nullptr;
   int stride = 0;
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ int oiio_blit(struct ncvisual* ncv, int rows, int cols,
     stride = ncv->rowstride;
   }
   return oiio_blit_dispatch(n, bset, placey, placex, stride, data,
-                            begy, begx, leny, lenx, blendcolors);
+                            begy, begx, leny, lenx, bargs);
   return 0;
 }