diff --git a/frontend/src/app.css b/frontend/src/app.css
index 17761fc..1785f68 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app.css
+++ b/frontend/src/app.css
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ body {
 .dark input,
 .dark textarea,
 .dark select {
-	@apply bg-gray-700 border-gray-600 text-white placeholder-gray-400;
+	@apply bg-gray-700 border-gray-600 text-white placeholder-gray-500;
 }
 
 .dark input:focus,
@@ -334,3 +334,18 @@ body {
 .no-transition *::after {
 	transition: none !important;
 }
+
+/* global placeholder styling for consistency */
+input::placeholder,
+textarea::placeholder,
+select::placeholder {
+	color: #9ca3af; /* gray-400 */
+	opacity: 0.6;
+}
+
+.dark input::placeholder,
+.dark textarea::placeholder,
+.dark select::placeholder {
+	color: #6b7280; /* gray-500 */
+	opacity: 0.6;
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/FileField.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/FileField.svelte
index 14138c1..977136d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/FileField.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/FileField.svelte
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 	export let multiple = false;
 	export let name = 'files';
 	export let accept = '*';
-	export let bgColor = '';
 	// bind to parent form element, if there is one
 	let parentForm = null;
 	// listen to parent form reset event, if one exists
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/Input.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/Input.svelte
index 3e4fd97..48dcddb 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/Input.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/Input.svelte
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@
 		{type}
 		id={fieldName}
 		name={fieldName}
-		class="w-full p-2 rounded bg-pc-lightblue dark:bg-gray-900/60 dark:border-gray-700/60 dark:text-gray-300 dark:placeholder-gray-500 focus:outline-none focus:ring-0 focus:border-cta-blue dark:focus:border-highlight-blue/80 focus:border-2 transition-colors duration-200"
+		class="w-full p-2 rounded bg-pc-lightblue dark:bg-gray-900/60 dark:border-gray-700/60 dark:text-gray-300 focus:outline-none focus:ring-0 focus:border-cta-blue dark:focus:border-highlight-blue/80 focus:border-2 transition-colors duration-200"
 	/>
 </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/Search.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/Search.svelte
index 47bf212..c728c95 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/Search.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/Search.svelte
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 				setSearch();
 			}
 		}}
-		class="bg-grayblue-light dark:bg-gray-900/60 w-56 border text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-300 border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-700/60 pl-8 py-2 relative rounded-lg focus:outline-none focus:ring-0 focus:border-cta-blue dark:focus:border-highlight-blue/80 focus:border transition-colors duration-200 dark:placeholder-gray-500"
+		class="bg-grayblue-light dark:bg-gray-900/60 w-56 border text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-300 border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-700/60 pl-8 py-2 relative rounded-lg focus:outline-none focus:ring-0 focus:border-cta-blue dark:focus:border-highlight-blue/80 focus:border transition-colors duration-200"
 		placeholder="Search"
 	/>
 </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/TextFieldMultiSelect.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/TextFieldMultiSelect.svelte
index b12e218..526c85b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/TextFieldMultiSelect.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/TextFieldMultiSelect.svelte
@@ -305,7 +305,6 @@
 				class="w-full relative rounded-md py-2 pr-10 text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-300 border border-transparent focus:outline-none focus:border-solid focus:border focus:border-slate-400 dark:focus:border-highlight-blue/80 focus:bg-gray-100 dark:focus:bg-gray-700/60 bg-grayblue-light dark:bg-gray-900/60 font-normal cursor-pointer focus:cursor-text transition-colors duration-200"
 				class:pl-10={showDropdown}
 				class:pl-4={!showDropdown}
-				class:text-gray-400={!hasValue && !showDropdown && value.length === 0}
 				placeholder={!hasValue && !showDropdown && value.length === 0
 					? placeholder
 					: showDropdown
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/TextFieldSelect.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/TextFieldSelect.svelte
index 7237b05..7b5e6d3 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/TextFieldSelect.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/TextFieldSelect.svelte
@@ -302,7 +302,6 @@
 				class="w-full relative rounded-md py-2 pr-10 text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-300 border border-transparent focus:outline-none focus:border-solid focus:border focus:border-slate-400 dark:focus:border-highlight-blue/80 focus:bg-gray-100 dark:focus:bg-gray-700/60 bg-grayblue-light dark:bg-gray-900/60 font-normal cursor-pointer focus:cursor-text transition-colors duration-200"
 				class:pl-10={showDropdown}
 				class:pl-4={!showDropdown}
-				class:text-gray-400={!hasValue && !showDropdown}
 				placeholder={!hasValue && !showDropdown ? placeholder : ''}
 				{required}
 			/>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/form/TextFieldSelectWithType.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/form/TextFieldSelectWithType.svelte
index e5b59b8..3b949bf 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/form/TextFieldSelectWithType.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/form/TextFieldSelectWithType.svelte
@@ -312,7 +312,6 @@
 				class:pl-10={isFocused && showDropdown}
 				class:pl-20={!isFocused}
 				class:pl-4={isFocused && !showDropdown}
-				class:text-gray-400={!hasValue && !showDropdown}
 				placeholder={!hasValue && !showDropdown ? placeholder : ''}
 				{required}
 			/>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/modal/CommandPalette.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/modal/CommandPalette.svelte
index 4280417..10fb8f4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/modal/CommandPalette.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/modal/CommandPalette.svelte
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@
 					bind:value={searchQuery}
 					type="text"
 					placeholder="search pages..."
-					class="w-full px-3 py-2 bg-gray-50 dark:bg-gray-700 border border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-600 rounded-md text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100 placeholder-gray-500 dark:placeholder-gray-400 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500 dark:focus:ring-blue-400 transition-colors duration-200"
+					class="w-full px-3 py-2 bg-gray-50 dark:bg-gray-700 border border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-600 rounded-md text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500 dark:focus:ring-blue-400 transition-colors duration-200"
 				/>
 			</div>
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.svelte
index 967834f..61bfeed 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.svelte
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@
 							type="text"
 							id="Username"
 							name="Username"
-							class="w-full p-2 rounded bg-pc-lightblue dark:bg-gray-700 dark:border-gray-600 dark:text-white dark:placeholder-gray-400 focus:outline-none focus:ring-0 focus:border-cta-blue dark:focus:border-highlight-blue/80 focus:border-2 transition-colors duration-200"
+							class="w-full p-2 rounded bg-pc-lightblue dark:bg-gray-700 dark:border-gray-600 dark:text-white focus:outline-none focus:ring-0 focus:border-cta-blue dark:focus:border-highlight-blue/80 focus:border-2 transition-colors duration-200"
 						/>
 					</div>
 					<div class="flex flex-col w-full p-4 h-24">
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@
 								type={inputType}
 								id="Password"
 								name="Password"
-								class="relative w-full p-2 rounded bg-pc-lightblue dark:bg-gray-700 dark:border-gray-600 dark:text-white dark:placeholder-gray-400 focus:outline-none focus:ring-0 focus:border-cta-blue dark:focus:border-highlight-blue/80 focus:border-2 transition-colors duration-200"
+								class="relative w-full p-2 rounded bg-pc-lightblue dark:bg-gray-700 dark:border-gray-600 dark:text-white focus:outline-none focus:ring-0 focus:border-cta-blue dark:focus:border-highlight-blue/80 focus:border-2 transition-colors duration-200"
 							/>
 						</div>
 					</div>