diff --git a/src/GPUFontLayer.cpp b/src/GPUFontLayer.cpp
index 0c8e07e..0b128ee 100644
--- a/src/GPUFontLayer.cpp
+++ b/src/GPUFontLayer.cpp
@@ -19,12 +19,6 @@ void GPUFontLayer::setup(const LayerSettings & settings){
 }
 
 void GPUFontLayer::update(){
-    if(propsBuffer.size() > 0){
-        color = glm::vec4(propsBuffer[0].color[0],
-                          propsBuffer[0].color[1],
-                          propsBuffer[0].color[2],
-                          propsBuffer[0].color[3]);
-    }
 }
 
 void GPUFontLayer::draw(glm::vec3 position){
@@ -68,8 +62,8 @@ void GPUFontLayer::setProps(const Props & props){
     OFX_PROFILER_FUNCTION();
     bool propsBufferEmpty = propsBuffer.size() == 0;
     bool setAppearanceAlready = false;
-    if(propsBufferEmpty || props.text != propsBuffer[0].text
-       || propsBuffer[0].fontVariations != props.fontVariations){
+    if(propsBufferEmpty || lastProps.text != props.text
+       || lastProps.fontVariations != props.fontVariations){
         setAppearanceAlready = true;
         OFX_PROFILER_SCOPE("variations");
         setDirtyDirty(true);
@@ -85,10 +79,7 @@ void GPUFontLayer::setProps(const Props & props){
             ofxGPUFont::GlyphAppearance glyphAppearance;
             glyphIdentity.charcode = ofxGPUFont::decodeCharcode(&c);
             glyphAppearance.charcode = glyphIdentity.charcode;
-            glyphAppearance.color.r = vProps.color[0];
-            glyphAppearance.color.g = vProps.color[1];
-            glyphAppearance.color.b = vProps.color[2];
-            glyphAppearance.color.a = vProps.color[3];
+            glyphAppearance.color = vProps.color;
             glyphAppearance.fontSize_px = vProps.fontSize_px;
             for(const auto & fv : vProps.fontVariations){
                 glyphIdentity.coords.push_back(
@@ -103,34 +94,35 @@ void GPUFontLayer::setProps(const Props & props){
         }
     }
     if(!setAppearanceAlready
-       && !propsBufferEmpty
-       && (propsBuffer[0].fontSize_px != props.fontSize_px
-           || propsBuffer[0].color != props.color)){
+       && (lastProps.fontSize_px != props.fontSize_px
+           || lastProps.color != props.color)){
         for(int i = 0; i < props.text.size(); i++){
-            const Props & vProps = getProps(i * props.letterDelay);
+            const Props & vProps = propsBufferEmpty ? props : getProps(i * props.letterDelay);
             ofxGPUFont::GlyphAppearance & glyphAppearance = variationTextAppearance[i];
             glyphAppearance.fontSize_px = vProps.fontSize_px;
-            variationTextAppearance[i].color.r = vProps.color[0];
-            variationTextAppearance[i].color.g = vProps.color[1];
-            variationTextAppearance[i].color.b = vProps.color[2];
-            variationTextAppearance[i].color.a = vProps.color[3];
+            variationTextAppearance[i].color = vProps.color;
         }
     }
-    if(!propsBufferEmpty && props.fontPath != propsBuffer[0].fontPath){
+    if(lastProps.fontPath != props.fontPath){
         notHappyWithMom = true;
     }
 
-    while(propsBuffer.size() > max(0, int(props.letterDelay * 30 * props.text.size()))){
+    int maxPropsBufferSize = max(0, int(props.letterDelay * settings.letterDelayRatio * props.text.size()));
+    if(maxPropsBufferSize > 0){
+        propsBuffer.push_front(props);
+    }
+    while(propsBuffer.size() > maxPropsBufferSize){
         propsBuffer.pop_back();
     }
-    propsBuffer.push_front(props);
+    lastProps = props;
 }
-const Layer::Props & GPUFontLayer::getProps(float delay) const {
-    int index = max(0, min(int(propsBuffer.size() - 1), int(delay * 30)));
-    return propsBuffer[index]; // gets newest
-}
-const glm::vec4 & GPUFontLayer::getColor() const {
-    return color;
+const Layer::Props & GPUFontLayer::getProps(float delay_seconds) const {
+    if(delay_seconds != 0 && propsBuffer.size() > 0){
+        int index = max(0, min(int(propsBuffer.size() - 1), int(delay_seconds * settings.letterDelayRatio)));
+        return propsBuffer[index]; // gets newest
+    }else{
+        return lastProps;
+    }
 }
 ofNode & GPUFontLayer::getOuterNode(){
     return outerNode;
diff --git a/src/GPUFontLayer.h b/src/GPUFontLayer.h
index 68bb122..192a6a2 100644
--- a/src/GPUFontLayer.h
+++ b/src/GPUFontLayer.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ class GPUFontLayer : public Layer {
                            ofxVariableLab::FontVariation fontVariation = ofxVariableLab::FontVariation()) override;
         void setProps(const Props & props) override;
         const Props & getProps(float delay = 0) const override;
-        const glm::vec4 & getColor() const;
         void clearPropsBuffer() override;
         void setId(const LayerID & id) override;
         const LayerID & getId() override;
@@ -61,10 +60,10 @@ class GPUFontLayer : public Layer {
 
     private:
         std::deque <Props> propsBuffer;
+        Props lastProps;
         ComboIdentifier momsComboIdentifier;
         bool notHappyWithMom = false;
         LayerType type = GPUFONT;
-        glm::vec4 color;
         ofNode outerNode;
         ofNode innerNode;
         int letterDelayBufferSize = 0;
diff --git a/src/Layer.h b/src/Layer.h
index 9a0b5d1..5b9b235 100644
--- a/src/Layer.h
+++ b/src/Layer.h
@@ -8,12 +8,13 @@
 #include "ofxMsdfgen.h"
 #include "Utils.h"
 #include <memory>
+#include <sstream>
 
 namespace ofxVariableLab {
 
 struct LayerSettings {
-    uint32_t maxBufferSize = 100;
     VFlipBehaviour vFlipBehaviour = V_FLIP_ONCE_AUTO;
+    float letterDelayRatio = 30.0f; //
 };
 
 class Layer {
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ class Layer {
             float y = 200;
             float rotation = 0;
             float fontSize_px = 42;
-            std::array <float, 4> color;
+            std::array <float, 4> color = {0, 0, 0, 1};
             bool mirror_x = false;
             float mirror_x_distance = 0;
             bool mirror_y = false;
@@ -52,11 +53,40 @@ class Layer {
             //mirror_y,
             //mirror_y_distance,
             //letterDelay,
+            //transformOrigin,
             //fontVariations,
             //text,
             //fontPath)
         };
 
+        static std::string asString(const ofxVariableLab::Layer::Props & props){
+            stringstream s;
+            s << "asString::props:" << endl
+              << "\tx:" << ofToString(props.x) << endl
+              << "\ty:" << ofToString(props.y) << endl
+              << "\trotation:" << ofToString(props.rotation) << endl
+              << "\tfontSize_px:" << ofToString(props.fontSize_px) << endl
+              << "\tcolor: ["
+              << ofToString(props.color[0]) << ","
+              << ofToString(props.color[1]) << ","
+              << ofToString(props.color[2]) << ","
+              << ofToString(props.color[3]) << "]"
+              << endl
+              << "\tmirror_x:" << ofToString(props.mirror_x) << endl
+              << "\tmirror_x_distance:" << ofToString(props.mirror_x_distance) << endl
+              << "\tmirror_y:" << ofToString(props.mirror_y) << endl
+              << "\tmirror_y_distance:" << ofToString(props.mirror_y_distance) << endl
+              << "\tletterDelay:" << ofToString(props.letterDelay) << endl
+              << "\ttransformOrigin:" << ofToString(props.transformOrigin) << endl;
+            for(const auto & fv : props.fontVariations){
+                s << "\tfontVariations (" << fv.name << "):" << ofToString(fv.value) << endl;
+            }
+            s << "\ttext: " << props.text << endl
+              << "\tfontPath: " << props.fontPath << endl
+            ;
+            return s.str();
+        }
+
         virtual void setup(const LayerSettings & settings = LayerSettings()) = 0;
         virtual void update() = 0;
         virtual void draw(glm::vec3 position = glm::vec3(0, 0, 0)) = 0;
@@ -68,7 +98,6 @@ class Layer {
                                    ofxVariableLab::FontVariation fontVariation = ofxVariableLab::FontVariation()) = 0;
         virtual void setProps(const Props & props) = 0;
         virtual const Props & getProps(float delay = 0) const = 0;
-        virtual const glm::vec4 & getColor() const = 0;
         virtual void clearPropsBuffer() = 0;
         virtual void setId(const LayerID & id) = 0;
         virtual const LayerID & getId() = 0;
diff --git a/src/LayerComposition.cpp b/src/LayerComposition.cpp
index ab49e5a..dac066f 100644
--- a/src/LayerComposition.cpp
+++ b/src/LayerComposition.cpp
@@ -9,10 +9,6 @@
 namespace ofxVariableLab {
 
 void LayerComposition::setup(){
-    //auto combo = make_shared <GPUFontAtlasLayerCombo>();
-    //ComboIdentifier comboIdentifier = {"lol", Layer::GPUFONT};
-    //combo->setup(comboIdentifier);
-    //atlasLayerCombos[comboIdentifier] = combo;
 }
 
 void LayerComposition::update(){
@@ -28,7 +24,7 @@ void LayerComposition::update(){
                 momIdentifier.type
             };
             cout << "ideal mom looks like this: " << l.second->getProps().fontPath
-                 << (momIdentifier.type == LayerType::GPUFONT ? "gpufont" : "msdfgen")
+                 << (momIdentifier.type == LayerType::GPUFONT ? " gpufont" : " msdfgen")
                  << endl;
             findOrCreateNewMomForLayer(l.second, idealMom);
         }
diff --git a/src/MsdfLayer.cpp b/src/MsdfLayer.cpp
index fa7c5cd..022d211 100644
--- a/src/MsdfLayer.cpp
+++ b/src/MsdfLayer.cpp
@@ -17,12 +17,6 @@ void MsdfLayer::setup(const LayerSettings & settings){
 }
 
 void MsdfLayer::update(){
-    if(propsBuffer.size() > 0){
-        color = glm::vec4(propsBuffer[0].color[0],
-                          propsBuffer[0].color[1],
-                          propsBuffer[0].color[2],
-                          propsBuffer[0].color[3]);
-    }
 }
 
 void MsdfLayer::draw(glm::vec3 position){
@@ -319,16 +313,23 @@ void MsdfLayer::setProps(const Props & props){
     if(propsBuffer.size() == 0 || props.text != propsBuffer[0].text){
         setDirtyDirty(true);
     }
-    while(propsBuffer.size() > max(0, int(settings.maxBufferSize - 1))){
+    int maxPropsBufferSize = max(0, int(props.letterDelay * settings.letterDelayRatio * props.text.size()));
+    cout << "maxPropsBufferSize: " << ofToString(maxPropsBufferSize) << endl;
+    if(maxPropsBufferSize > 0){
+        propsBuffer.push_front(props);
+    }
+    while(propsBuffer.size() > maxPropsBufferSize){
         propsBuffer.pop_back();
     }
-    propsBuffer.push_front(props);
+    lastProps = props;
 }
-const Layer::Props & MsdfLayer::getProps(float delay) const {
-    return propsBuffer[0];
-}
-const glm::vec4 & MsdfLayer::getColor() const {
-    return color;
+const Layer::Props & MsdfLayer::getProps(float delay_seconds) const {
+    if(delay_seconds != 0 && propsBuffer.size() > 0){
+        int index = max(0, min(int(propsBuffer.size() - 1), int(delay_seconds * settings.letterDelayRatio)));
+        return propsBuffer[index]; // gets newest
+    }else{
+        return lastProps;
+    }
 }
 void MsdfLayer::clearPropsBuffer(){
     propsBuffer.clear();
diff --git a/src/MsdfLayer.h b/src/MsdfLayer.h
index 8ac6c28..391fdfb 100644
--- a/src/MsdfLayer.h
+++ b/src/MsdfLayer.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ class MsdfLayer : public Layer {
                            ofxVariableLab::FontVariation fontVariation = ofxVariableLab::FontVariation()) override;
         void setProps(const Props & props) override;
         const Props & getProps(float delay = 0) const override;
-        const glm::vec4 & getColor() const;
         void clearPropsBuffer() override;
         void setId(const LayerID & id) override;
         const LayerID & getId() override;
@@ -45,7 +44,6 @@ class MsdfLayer : public Layer {
         shared_ptr <ofxMsdfgen::Atlas> atlas;
 
         LayerSettings settings;
-        std::deque <Props> propsBuffer;
         shared_ptr <ofShader> shader;
         /// \brief are props updated but not drawn yet
         bool isDirty = true;
@@ -54,10 +52,11 @@ class MsdfLayer : public Layer {
         VFlipState vFlip = V_FLIP_UNKNOWN;
 
     private:
+        Props lastProps;
+        std::deque <Props> propsBuffer;
         bool notHappyWithMom = false;
         ComboIdentifier momsComboIdentifier;
         LayerType type = MSDFGEN;
-        glm::vec4 color;
         ofNode outerNode;
         ofNode innerNode;
 };