diff --git a/admin.mss b/admin.mss
index 9b96cc58f0..c51614c09e 100644
--- a/admin.mss
+++ b/admin.mss
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
+@admin-boundaries-low-zoom: #6b516b;
+@admin-boundaries-z6: #814d81;
+@admin-boundaries-z7: #964a96;
 @admin-boundaries: #ac46ac;
 
+@admin-boundaries-text: #a148a1;
+
 @admin-simplify: 4;
 @admin-simplify-algorithm: visvalingam-whyatt;
 
@@ -20,10 +25,10 @@ overlapping borders correctly.
       background/line-simplify: @admin-simplify;
       background/line-simplify-algorithm: @admin-simplify-algorithm;
       line-join: bevel;
-      line-color: @admin-boundaries;
-      line-width: 1.2;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries-low-zoom;
       line-simplify: @admin-simplify;
       line-simplify-algorithm: @admin-simplify-algorithm;
+      line-width: 1.2;
     }
     [zoom >= 5] {
       background/line-width: 1.5;
@@ -31,19 +36,22 @@ overlapping borders correctly.
     }
     [zoom >= 6] {
       background/line-width: 1.8;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries-z6;
       line-width: 1.8;
     }
     [zoom >= 7] {
       background/line-width: 2;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries-z7;
       line-width: 2;
     }
     [zoom >= 8] {
-      background/line-width: 3;
-      line-width: 3;
+      background/line-width: 2.6;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries;
+      line-width: 2.6;
     }
     [zoom >= 9] {
-      background/line-width: 3.2;
-      line-width: 3.2;
+      background/line-width: 4;
+      line-width: 4;
     }
     [zoom >= 10] {
       background/line-width: 6;
@@ -59,15 +67,34 @@ overlapping borders correctly.
       background/line-simplify: @admin-simplify;
       background/line-simplify-algorithm: @admin-simplify-algorithm;
       line-join: bevel;
-      line-color: @admin-boundaries;
-      line-width: 0.6;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries-low-zoom;
       line-simplify: @admin-simplify;
       line-simplify-algorithm: @admin-simplify-algorithm;
+      line-width: 0.6;
+    }
+    [zoom >= 5] {
+      background/line-width: 0.8;
+      line-width: 0.8;
+    }
+    [zoom >= 6] {
+      background/line-width: 1.0;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries-z6;
+      line-width: 1.0;
     }
     [zoom >= 7] {
       background/line-width: 1.2;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries-z7;
       line-width: 1.2;
     }
+    [zoom >= 8] {
+      background/line-width: 1.5;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries;
+      line-width: 1.5;
+    }
+    [zoom >= 9] {
+      background/line-width: 2.5;
+      line-width: 2.5;
+    }
     [zoom >= 10] {
       background/line-width: 4;
       line-width: 4;
@@ -83,26 +110,33 @@ overlapping borders correctly.
       background/line-width: 0.4;
       background/line-simplify: @admin-simplify;
       background/line-simplify-algorithm: @admin-simplify-algorithm;
-      line-color: @admin-boundaries;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries-low-zoom;
       line-join: bevel;
       line-width: 0.4;
       line-simplify: @admin-simplify;
       line-simplify-algorithm: @admin-simplify-algorithm;
+      line-dasharray: 4,3;
       line-clip: false;
     }
     [zoom >= 5] {
-      background/line-width: 0.5;
-      line-width: 0.5;
-    }
-    [zoom >= 6] {
       background/line-width: 0.6;
       line-width: 0.6;
     }
+    [zoom >= 6] {
+      background/line-width: 0.8;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries-z6;
+      line-width: 0.8;
+    }
     [zoom >= 7] {
       background/line-width: 1;
-      line-dasharray: 4,3;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries-z7;
       line-width: 1;
     }
+    [zoom >= 8] {
+      background/line-width: 1.4;
+      line-color: @admin-boundaries;
+      line-width: 1.4;
+    }
     [zoom >= 9] {
       background/line-width: 1.8;
       line-width: 1.8;
@@ -111,6 +145,10 @@ overlapping borders correctly.
       background/line-width: 2.5;
       line-width: 2.5;
     }
+    [zoom >= 11] {
+      background/line-width: 2.75;
+      line-width: 2.75;
+    }
     [zoom >= 12] {
       background/line-width: 3;
       line-width: 3;
@@ -216,7 +254,7 @@ overlapping borders correctly.
   [zoom >= 16] {
     text-name: "[name]";
     text-face-name: @book-fonts;
-    text-fill: @admin-boundaries;
+    text-fill: @admin-boundaries-text;
     text-halo-radius: @standard-halo-radius;
     text-halo-fill: @standard-halo-fill;
     text-largest-bbox-only: false;
diff --git a/placenames.mss b/placenames.mss
index 851c379c08..f662989a04 100644
--- a/placenames.mss
+++ b/placenames.mss
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 @placenames: #222;
 @placenames-light: #777777;
+@country-labels-low-zoom: darken(@admin-boundaries-low-zoom, 15%);
+@state-labels-low-zoom: darken(@admin-boundaries-low-zoom, 5%);
+@country-labels-z6: darken(@admin-boundaries-z6, 15%);
+@state-labels-z6: desaturate(darken(@admin-boundaries-z6, 5%), 5%);
+@country-labels-z7: darken(@admin-boundaries-z7, 15%);
+@state-labels-z7: desaturate(darken(@admin-boundaries-z7, 5%), 10%);
 @country-labels: darken(@admin-boundaries, 15%);
 @state-labels: desaturate(darken(@admin-boundaries, 5%), 20%);
 
@@ -7,6 +13,7 @@
   [zoom >= 3][zoom < 5][way_pixels > 1000],
   [zoom >= 5][way_pixels < 360000] {
     text-name: "[name]";
+    text-fill: @country-labels-low-zoom;
     text-size: 10;
     text-wrap-width: 35; // 3.5 em
     text-line-spacing: -1.5; // -0.15 em
@@ -23,23 +30,28 @@
       text-line-spacing: -1.2; // -0.10 em
       text-margin: 8.4; // 0.7 em
     }
+    [zoom >= 6] {
+      text-fill: @country-labels-z6;
+    }
     [zoom >= 7] {
+      text-fill: @country-labels-z7;
       text-size: 13;
       text-wrap-width: 50; // 3.8 em
       text-line-spacing: -1.0; // -0.08 em
       text-margin: 9.1; // 0.7 em
     }
+    [zoom >= 8] {
+      text-fill: @country-labels;
+    }
     [zoom >= 10] {
       text-size: 14;
       text-wrap-width: 55; // 3.9 em
       text-line-spacing: -0.7; // -0.05 em
     }
-    text-fill: @country-labels;
-    text-face-name: @book-fonts;
+    text-face-name: @bold-fonts;
     text-halo-fill: @standard-halo-fill;
     text-halo-radius: @standard-halo-radius * 1.5;
     text-placement: interior;
-    text-character-spacing: 0.5;
   }
 }
 
@@ -51,17 +63,24 @@
     text-wrap-width: 30; // 3.0 em
     text-line-spacing: -1.5; // -0.15 em
     text-margin: 7.0; // 0.7 em
-    text-fill: @state-labels;
+    text-fill: @state-labels-low-zoom;
     text-face-name: @oblique-fonts;
     text-halo-fill: @standard-halo-fill;
     text-halo-radius: @standard-halo-radius * 1.5;
     text-placement: interior;
+    [zoom >= 6] {
+      text-fill: @state-labels-z6;
+    }
     [zoom >= 7] {
+      text-fill: @state-labels-z7;
       text-size: 11;
       text-wrap-width: 50; // 4.5 em
       text-line-spacing: -0.6; // -0.05 em
       text-margin: 7.7; // 0.7 em
     }
+    [zoom >= 8] {
+      text-fill: @state-labels;
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/shapefiles.mss b/shapefiles.mss
index 1bfee4f50a..017a172d50 100644
--- a/shapefiles.mss
+++ b/shapefiles.mss
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     [zoom >= 3] {
       line-width: 0.4;
     }
-    line-color: @admin-boundaries;
+    line-color: @admin-boundaries-low-zoom;
   }
 }