diff --git a/src/main/java/puzzle/ExportFormat.java b/src/main/java/puzzle/ExportFormat.java
index c754661..725387b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/puzzle/ExportFormat.java
+++ b/src/main/java/puzzle/ExportFormat.java
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ public final class ExportFormat {
       for (var p : placed) {
          for (var rc : p.cells) {
             int rr = rc[0], cc = rc[1];
-            if (inBounds(H, W, rr, cc) && isLetter(g.getCharAt(rr, cc))) {
+            if (inBounds(H, W, rr, cc) && g.isLetterAt(rr, cc)) {
                letterAt.put(pack(rr, cc), g.getCharAt(rr, cc));
             }
          }
diff --git a/src/main/java/puzzle/SwedishGenerator.java b/src/main/java/puzzle/SwedishGenerator.java
index 1344ced..73321af 100644
--- a/src/main/java/puzzle/SwedishGenerator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/puzzle/SwedishGenerator.java
@@ -82,52 +82,39 @@ public record SwedishGenerator(int W, int H, int SIZE, int MAX_LEN) {
    
    static int clamp(int x, int a, int b) { return Math.max(a, Math.min(b, x)); }
    
-   static final int BITS_PER_CELL = 1;
-   
    record Grid(byte[] g, int H, int W) {
       
       Grid deepCopyGrid() {
          return new Grid(g.clone(), H, W);
       }
       
-      int getOffset(int r, int c) { return (r * W + c) * BITS_PER_CELL; }
+      int getOffset(int r, int c) { return r * W + c; }
       
-      int getCellValue(int r, int c) {
-         int offset = getOffset(r, c);
-         int val = g[offset];
-         return val;
+      boolean isLettercell(int r, int c) {
+         return isLetterCell(getCharAt(r,c));
       }
-      
       char getCharAt(int r, int c) {
-         int val = getCellValue(r, c);
-         if (val == 0) return '#';
-         if (val >= 1 && val <= 26) return (char) ('A' + val - 1);
-         if (val >= 27 && val <= 32) return (char) ('1' + val - 27);
-         return 0;
+         return (char) (g[getOffset(r, c)] & 0xFF);
       }
       
       void setCharAt(int r, int c, char ch) {
-         int offset = getOffset(r, c);
-         int val = 0;
-         if (ch >= 'A' && ch <= 'Z') val = ch - 'A' + 1;
-         else if (ch == '#') val = 0;
-         else if (ch >= '1' && ch <= '6') val = ch - '1' + 27;
-         g[offset] = (byte) val;
+         g[getOffset(r, c)] = (byte) ch;
       }
       
       boolean isLetterAt(int r, int c) {
-         int val = getCellValue(r, c);
-         return val >= 1 && val <= 26;
+         char ch = getCharAt(r, c);
+         return ch >= 'A' && ch <= 'Z';
       }
       
       boolean isDigitAt(int r, int c) {
-         int val = getCellValue(r, c);
-         return val >= 27 && val <= 32;
+         char ch = getCharAt(r, c);
+         return ch >= '1' && ch <= '6';
       }
    }
    // ---------------- Grid helpers ----------------
    Grid makeEmptyGrid() {
-      var g    = new byte[H * W];// * BITS_PER_CELL);
+      var g = new byte[H * W];
+      Arrays.fill(g, (byte) '#');
       return new Grid(g, H, W);
    }
    
@@ -374,7 +361,7 @@ public record SwedishGenerator(int W, int H, int SIZE, int MAX_LEN) {
       int dr  = STEPS[di][0], dc = STEPS[di][1];
       int rr  = r + or, cc = c + oc;
       var run = 0;
-      while (rr >= 0 && rr < H && cc >= 0 && cc < W && isLetterCell(grid.getCharAt(rr, cc)) && run < MAX_LEN) {
+      while (rr >= 0 && rr < H && cc >= 0 && cc < W && (grid.isLettercell(rr, cc)) && run < MAX_LEN) {
          run++;
          rr += dr;
          cc += dc;
@@ -684,17 +671,16 @@ public record SwedishGenerator(int W, int H, int SIZE, int MAX_LEN) {
       
       for (var i = 0; i < s.len; i++) {
          int r      = s.rs[i], c = s.cs[i];
-         int val    = grid.getCellValue(r, c);
+         char cur   = grid.getCharAt(r, c);
          var ch     = w.charAt(i);
-         if (val == 0) { // '#'
+         if (cur == '#') {
             urs[n] = r;
             ucs[n] = c;
             up[n]  = '#';
             n++;
             grid.setCharAt(r, c, ch);
          } else {
-            int targetVal = ch - 'A' + 1;
-            if (val != targetVal) {
+            if (cur != ch) {
                // rollback immediate changes
                for (var j = 0; j < n; j++) grid.setCharAt(urs[j], ucs[j], up[j]);
                return null;