perf(xtc): optimize XTCH grayscale rendering and memory usage

- Remove storeBwBuffer() requirement for grayscale rendering
  - Peak memory reduced from 144KB to 96KB
  - Use 4-pass rendering: BW display → LSB → MSB → grayscale → BW restore

- Optimize PageInfo struct (24→16 bytes)
  - Change offset from uint64_t to uint32_t (4GB file limit)
  - Saves ~15KB for large books (e.g., 1883 pages: 45KB → 30KB)

- Add storeBwBuffer() return value for error handling
- Add pixel distribution logging for debugging
- Fix LSB/MSB grayscale mapping per README spec

lib/GfxRenderer/GfxRenderer.cpp

@@ -286,12 +286,13 @@ void GfxRenderer::freeBwBufferChunks() {
  * This should be called before grayscale buffers are populated.
  * A `restoreBwBuffer` call should always follow the grayscale render if this method was called.
  * Uses chunked allocation to avoid needing 48KB of contiguous memory.
+ * Returns true if buffer was stored successfully, false if allocation failed.
  */
-void GfxRenderer::storeBwBuffer() {
+bool GfxRenderer::storeBwBuffer() {
   const uint8_t* frameBuffer = einkDisplay.getFrameBuffer();
   if (!frameBuffer) {
     Serial.printf("[%lu] [GFX] !! No framebuffer in storeBwBuffer\n", millis());
-    return;
+    return false;
   }
 
   // Allocate and copy each chunk
@@ -312,7 +313,7 @@ void GfxRenderer::storeBwBuffer() {
                     BW_BUFFER_CHUNK_SIZE);
       // Free previously allocated chunks
       freeBwBufferChunks();
-      return;
+      return false;
     }
 
     memcpy(bwBufferChunks[i], frameBuffer + offset, BW_BUFFER_CHUNK_SIZE);
@@ -320,6 +321,7 @@ void GfxRenderer::storeBwBuffer() {
 
   Serial.printf("[%lu] [GFX] Stored BW buffer in %zu chunks (%zu bytes each)\n", millis(), BW_BUFFER_NUM_CHUNKS,
                 BW_BUFFER_CHUNK_SIZE);
+  return true;
 }
 
 /**

lib/GfxRenderer/GfxRenderer.h

@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class GfxRenderer {
   void copyGrayscaleLsbBuffers() const;
   void copyGrayscaleMsbBuffers() const;
   void displayGrayBuffer() const;
-  void storeBwBuffer();
+  bool storeBwBuffer();  // Returns true if buffer was stored successfully
   void restoreBwBuffer();
 
   // Low level functions

lib/Xtc/Xtc/XtcParser.cpp

@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ XtcError XtcParser::readPageTable() {
       return XtcError::READ_ERROR;
     }
 
-    m_pageTable[i].offset = entry.dataOffset;
+    m_pageTable[i].offset = static_cast<uint32_t>(entry.dataOffset);
     m_pageTable[i].size = entry.dataSize;
     m_pageTable[i].width = entry.width;
     m_pageTable[i].height = entry.height;
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ size_t XtcParser::loadPage(uint32_t pageIndex, uint8_t* buffer, size_t bufferSiz
 
   // Seek to page data
   if (!m_file.seek(page.offset)) {
-    Serial.printf("[%lu] [XTC] Failed to seek to page %u at offset %llu\n", millis(), pageIndex, page.offset);
+    Serial.printf("[%lu] [XTC] Failed to seek to page %u at offset %lu\n", millis(), pageIndex, page.offset);
     m_lastError = XtcError::READ_ERROR;
     return 0;
   }

lib/Xtc/Xtc/XtcTypes.h

@@ -82,14 +82,15 @@ struct XtgPageHeader {
 };
 #pragma pack(pop)
 
-// Page information (internal use)
+// Page information (internal use, optimized for memory)
 struct PageInfo {
-  uint64_t offset;   // File offset to page data
+  uint32_t offset;   // File offset to page data (max 4GB file size)
   uint32_t size;     // Data size (bytes)
   uint16_t width;    // Page width
   uint16_t height;   // Page height
   uint8_t bitDepth;  // 1 = XTG (1-bit), 2 = XTH (2-bit grayscale)
-};
+  uint8_t padding;   // Alignment padding
+};  // 16 bytes total
 
 // Error codes
 enum class XtcError {

src/activities/reader/XtcReaderActivity.cpp

@@ -203,26 +203,88 @@ void XtcReaderActivity::renderPage() {
     const uint8_t* plane2 = pageBuffer + planeSize;  // Bit2 plane
     const size_t colBytes = (pageHeight + 7) / 8;    // Bytes per column (100 for 800 height)
 
+    // Lambda to get pixel value at (x, y)
+    auto getPixelValue = [&](uint16_t x, uint16_t y) -> uint8_t {
+      const size_t colIndex = pageWidth - 1 - x;
+      const size_t byteInCol = y / 8;
+      const size_t bitInByte = 7 - (y % 8);
+      const size_t byteOffset = colIndex * colBytes + byteInCol;
+      const uint8_t bit1 = (plane1[byteOffset] >> bitInByte) & 1;
+      const uint8_t bit2 = (plane2[byteOffset] >> bitInByte) & 1;
+      return (bit1 << 1) | bit2;
+    };
+
+    // Optimized grayscale rendering without storeBwBuffer (saves 48KB peak memory)
+    // Flow: BW display → LSB/MSB passes → grayscale display → re-render BW for next frame
+
+    // Count pixel distribution for debugging
+    uint32_t pixelCounts[4] = {0, 0, 0, 0};
     for (uint16_t y = 0; y < pageHeight; y++) {
       for (uint16_t x = 0; x < pageWidth; x++) {
-        // Column-major, right to left: column index = (width - 1 - x)
+        pixelCounts[getPixelValue(x, y)]++;
-        const size_t colIndex = pageWidth - 1 - x;
+      }
-        const size_t byteInCol = y / 8;
+    }
-        const size_t bitInByte = 7 - (y % 8);  // MSB = topmost pixel
+    Serial.printf("[%lu] [XTR] Pixel distribution: White=%lu, DarkGrey=%lu, LightGrey=%lu, Black=%lu\n", millis(),
+                  pixelCounts[0], pixelCounts[1], pixelCounts[2], pixelCounts[3]);
 
-        const size_t byteOffset = colIndex * colBytes + byteInCol;
+    // Pass 1: BW buffer - draw all non-white pixels as black
-        const uint8_t bit1 = (plane1[byteOffset] >> bitInByte) & 1;
+    for (uint16_t y = 0; y < pageHeight; y++) {
-        const uint8_t bit2 = (plane2[byteOffset] >> bitInByte) & 1;
+      for (uint16_t x = 0; x < pageWidth; x++) {
-        const uint8_t pixelValue = (bit1 << 1) | bit2;
+        if (getPixelValue(x, y) >= 1) {
-
-        // Threshold: 0=White, 1,2,3=Dark (for best text contrast)
-        const bool isBlack = (pixelValue >= 1);
-
-        if (isBlack) {
           renderer.drawPixel(x, y, true);
         }
       }
     }
+
+    // Display BW first with half refresh (clean base for grayscale overlay)
+    renderer.displayBuffer(EInkDisplay::HALF_REFRESH);
+
+    // Pass 2: LSB buffer - mark DARK gray only (XTH value 1)
+    // README: "mark the **dark** grays pixels with `1`"
+    renderer.clearScreen(0x00);
+    for (uint16_t y = 0; y < pageHeight; y++) {
+      for (uint16_t x = 0; x < pageWidth; x++) {
+        if (getPixelValue(x, y) == 1) {  // Dark grey only
+          renderer.drawPixel(x, y, true);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    renderer.copyGrayscaleLsbBuffers();
+
+    // Pass 3: MSB buffer - mark LIGHT AND DARK gray (XTH value 1 or 2)
+    // README: "mark the **light and dark** grays pixels with `1`"
+    renderer.clearScreen(0x00);
+    for (uint16_t y = 0; y < pageHeight; y++) {
+      for (uint16_t x = 0; x < pageWidth; x++) {
+        const uint8_t pv = getPixelValue(x, y);
+        if (pv == 1 || pv == 2) {  // Dark grey or Light grey
+          renderer.drawPixel(x, y, true);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    renderer.copyGrayscaleMsbBuffers();
+
+    // Display grayscale overlay
+    renderer.displayGrayBuffer();
+
+    // Pass 4: Re-render BW to framebuffer (restore for next frame, instead of restoreBwBuffer)
+    renderer.clearScreen();
+    for (uint16_t y = 0; y < pageHeight; y++) {
+      for (uint16_t x = 0; x < pageWidth; x++) {
+        if (getPixelValue(x, y) >= 1) {
+          renderer.drawPixel(x, y, true);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Reset refresh counter (grayscale display is a full refresh)
+    pagesUntilFullRefresh = pagesPerRefresh;
+
+    free(pageBuffer);
+
+    Serial.printf("[%lu] [XTR] Rendered page %lu/%lu (2-bit grayscale)\n", millis(), currentPage + 1,
+                  xtc->getPageCount());
+    return;
   } else {
     // 1-bit mode: 8 pixels per byte, MSB first
     const size_t srcRowBytes = (pageWidth + 7) / 8;  // 60 bytes for 480 width