diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/SettingsPanel.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/SettingsPanel.svelte
index 100ec55..30c7807 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/SettingsPanel.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/SettingsPanel.svelte
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   import EyeIndicator from './visual/EyeIndicator.svelte';
   import AlignmentIndicator from './visual/AlignmentIndicator.svelte';
   import BrightnessIndicator from './visual/BrightnessIndicator.svelte';
+  import PaddingIndicator from './visual/PaddingIndicator.svelte';
 
   let { disabled = false } = $props();
 
@@ -216,13 +217,13 @@
                     bind:checked={config.processing.crop.enabled}
                   />
                 </div>
-                <div class="section-hint">Faces too close to the edge of the photo are often distorted and require too much padding</div>
+                <div class="section-hint">Padding happens when a face is at the border of a photo. It is required to move the subject to the center of the frame.</div>
 
                 {#if config.processing.crop.enabled}
-                  <div class="setting-row sub-setting">
+                  <div class="setting-row sub-setting no-border">
                     <label for="max-padding">
                       <span class="setting-label">Max Padding</span>
-                      <span class="setting-hint">Maximum allowed padding from edge replication</span>
+                      <span class="setting-hint">Maximum allowed padding</span>
                     </label>
                     <div class="setting-control">
                       <input
@@ -236,6 +237,9 @@
                       <span class="value">{config.processing.crop.max_padding_percent}%</span>
                     </div>
                   </div>
+                  <div class="padding-indicator-container">
+                    <PaddingIndicator maxPaddingPercent={config.processing.crop.max_padding_percent} />
+                  </div>
                 {/if}
               </div>
 
@@ -738,7 +742,8 @@
     border-bottom: 1px solid #252525;
   }
 
-  .setting-row:last-child {
+  .setting-row:last-child,
+  .setting-row.no-border {
     border-bottom: none;
   }
 
@@ -992,6 +997,16 @@
     text-align: center;
   }
 
+  .padding-indicator-container {
+    display: flex;
+    justify-content: center;
+    width: fit-content;
+    margin: 0 auto;
+    padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
+    background: #0f0f0f;
+    border-radius: 6px;
+  }
+
   .brightness-indicator-container {
     display: flex;
     justify-content: center;
@@ -1000,4 +1015,5 @@
     border: 1px solid #333;
     border-radius: 6px;
   }
+
 </style>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/visual/PaddingIndicator.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/visual/PaddingIndicator.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef11b38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/visual/PaddingIndicator.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+<script>
+  /**
+   * Visual indicator for the max padding threshold.
+   * Shows two nested squares: the full output frame (outer) and the
+   * minimum real-pixel region (inner). The border zone between them
+   * represents padding (duplicated edge pixels) and is tinted red.
+   *
+   * @param {number} maxPaddingPercent - Max allowed padding percent (5-80)
+   */
+  let { maxPaddingPercent = 30 } = $props();
+
+  const frameSize = 100;
+  const svgSize = 116;
+  const frameOffset = (svgSize - frameSize) / 2;
+
+  // A padding fraction of P% means up to P% of the area can be outside the
+  // original photo. For a uniform border: area_fraction = 1 - inner_side².
+  // So inner_side_fraction = sqrt(1 - P/100).
+  const innerSideFraction = $derived(Math.sqrt(Math.max(0, 1 - maxPaddingPercent / 100)));
+  const innerSize = $derived(frameSize * innerSideFraction);
+  const border = $derived((frameSize - innerSize) / 2);
+
+  const innerX = $derived(frameOffset + border);
+  const innerY = $derived(frameOffset + border);
+</script>
+
+<div class="padding-indicator-wrap">
+  <svg viewBox="0 0 {svgSize} {svgSize}" class="padding-svg" role="img" aria-label="Padding threshold visualization">
+    <!-- Outer square: full output frame -->
+    <rect
+      x={frameOffset}
+      y={frameOffset}
+      width={frameSize}
+      height={frameSize}
+      fill="#2a2a2a"
+      stroke="#666"
+      stroke-width="1.5"
+      rx="2"
+    />
+
+    <!-- Padding zone: red tint over the border area -->
+    <rect
+      x={frameOffset}
+      y={frameOffset}
+      width={frameSize}
+      height={frameSize}
+      fill="rgba(239, 68, 68, 0.30)"
+      rx="2"
+    />
+
+    <!-- Inner square: real image pixels region -->
+    {#if innerSize > 2}
+      <rect
+        x={innerX}
+        y={innerY}
+        width={innerSize}
+        height={innerSize}
+        fill="#3a3a3a"
+      />
+      <!-- Dashed border to distinguish inner from outer -->
+      <rect
+        x={innerX}
+        y={innerY}
+        width={innerSize}
+        height={innerSize}
+        fill="none"
+        stroke="rgba(255,255,255,0.35)"
+        stroke-width="1"
+        stroke-dasharray="3 2"
+      />
+    {/if}
+  </svg>
+
+  <div class="legend">
+    <div class="legend-item">
+      <span class="swatch real"></span>
+      real image pixels
+    </div>
+    <div class="legend-item">
+      <span class="swatch padding"></span>
+      padding (duplicated edge pixels)
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<style>
+  .padding-indicator-wrap {
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: row;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 1rem;
+  }
+
+  .padding-svg {
+    width: 116px;
+    height: 116px;
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+  }
+
+  .legend {
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    gap: 0.4rem;
+    font-size: 0.75rem;
+    color: #aaa;
+  }
+
+  .legend-item {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 0.4rem;
+  }
+
+  .swatch {
+    display: inline-block;
+    width: 12px;
+    height: 12px;
+    border: 1px solid #666;
+    border-radius: 2px;
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+  }
+
+  .swatch.real {
+    background: #3a3a3a;
+  }
+
+  .swatch.padding {
+    background: color-mix(in srgb, rgb(239, 68, 68) 30%, #2a2a2a);
+  }
+</style>