diff --git a/src/e3sm_quickview/components/view.py b/src/e3sm_quickview/components/view.py
index 6774c9d..cd9fe17 100644
--- a/src/e3sm_quickview/components/view.py
+++ b/src/e3sm_quickview/components/view.py
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ def create_bottom_bar(config, update_color_preset):
                                 classes="rounded",
                             )
             html.Div(
-                "{{ utils.quickview.formatRange(config.effective_color_range?.[0], config.use_log_scale, config.effective_color_range?.[0], config.effective_color_range?.[1]) }}",
+                "{{ utils.quickview.formatRange(config.color_range?.[0], config.use_log_scale, config.color_range?.[0], config.color_range?.[1]) }}",
                 classes="text-caption px-2 text-no-wrap",
             )
             with html.Div(
@@ -294,6 +294,6 @@ def create_bottom_bar(config, update_color_preset):
                             style=("`width:1.5px;flex:1;background:${tick.color};`",),
                         )
             html.Div(
-                "{{ utils.quickview.formatRange(config.effective_color_range?.[1], config.use_log_scale, config.effective_color_range?.[0], config.effective_color_range?.[1]) }}",
+                "{{ utils.quickview.formatRange(config.color_range?.[1], config.use_log_scale, config.color_range?.[0], config.color_range?.[1]) }}",
                 classes="text-caption px-2 text-no-wrap",
             )
diff --git a/src/e3sm_quickview/utils/math.py b/src/e3sm_quickview/utils/math.py
index 617654f..08cdbf3 100644
--- a/src/e3sm_quickview/utils/math.py
+++ b/src/e3sm_quickview/utils/math.py
@@ -241,11 +241,54 @@ def tick_contrast_color(r, g, b):
     return "#000" if luminance > 0.45 else "#fff"
 
 
+def _position_on_bar(val, vmin, vmax, scale):
+    """Map a data value to a 0-100 percentage position on a linear colorbar.
+
+    For 'linear' scale, position is simply the linear interpolation.
+    For 'log' and 'symlog', the colorbar image is always rendered from the
+    linear LUT, so tick positions must be placed in the *transformed* space
+    to show where data values actually map.
+    """
+    data_range = vmax - vmin
+    if data_range == 0:
+        return 50.0
+
+    if scale == "log":
+        safe_vmin = max(vmin, 1e-15)
+        safe_vmax = max(vmax, 1e-14)
+        safe_val = max(val, safe_vmin)
+        log_min = np.log10(safe_vmin)
+        log_max = np.log10(safe_vmax)
+        log_range = log_max - log_min
+        if log_range == 0:
+            return 50.0
+        return (np.log10(safe_val) - log_min) / log_range * 100
+
+    if scale == "symlog":
+        linthresh = max(abs(vmin), abs(vmax)) * 1e-2
+        if linthresh == 0:
+            linthresh = 1.0
+
+        def _symlog(x):
+            return np.sign(x) * np.log10(np.abs(x) / linthresh + 1)
+
+        s_min = _symlog(vmin)
+        s_max = _symlog(vmax)
+        s_range = s_max - s_min
+        if s_range == 0:
+            return 50.0
+        return float((_symlog(val) - s_min) / s_range * 100)
+
+    # linear
+    return (val - vmin) / data_range * 100
+
+
 def compute_color_ticks(vmin, vmax, scale="linear", n=5, min_gap=7, edge_margin=3):
     """Compute tick marks for a colorbar.
 
-    Tick positions are always linear in data space since the colorbar image
-    is sampled linearly (lut_to_img uses uniform steps from vmin to vmax).
+    The colorbar image is always rendered from the linear LUT.  For log and
+    symlog scales, tick *positions* are placed in the transformed space so
+    they line up visually with the correct colours.
 
     Args:
         vmin: Minimum color range value
@@ -263,14 +306,13 @@ def compute_color_ticks(vmin, vmax, scale="linear", n=5, min_gap=7, edge_margin=
 
     raw_n = n if scale == "linear" else n * 2
     ticks = get_nice_ticks(vmin, vmax, raw_n, scale)
-    data_range = vmax - vmin
 
-    # Build candidate list with position in linear data space
+    # Build candidate list with position in transformed space
     candidates = []
     has_zero = False
     for t in ticks:
         val = float(t)
-        pos = (val - vmin) / data_range * 100
+        pos = _position_on_bar(val, vmin, vmax, scale)
         if edge_margin <= pos <= (100 - edge_margin):
             is_zero = np.isclose(val, 0, atol=1e-12)
             if is_zero:
@@ -285,7 +327,7 @@ def compute_color_ticks(vmin, vmax, scale="linear", n=5, min_gap=7, edge_margin=
 
     # Always include 0 when it falls within the range (for any scale)
     if not has_zero and scale != "log":
-        zero_pos = (0.0 - vmin) / data_range * 100
+        zero_pos = _position_on_bar(0.0, vmin, vmax, scale)
         if 0 <= zero_pos <= 100:
             tick = {"position": round(zero_pos, 2), "label": "0", "priority": True}
             # Insert in sorted order
diff --git a/src/e3sm_quickview/view_manager.py b/src/e3sm_quickview/view_manager.py
index aa79bd0..55615cb 100644
--- a/src/e3sm_quickview/view_manager.py
+++ b/src/e3sm_quickview/view_manager.py
@@ -163,21 +163,23 @@ def update_color_preset(self, name, invert, log_scale, n_colors=255):
         self._apply_linear_to_lut(invert)
         self.lut.RescaleTransferFunction(*self.config.color_range)
 
+        if n_colors is not None:
+            self.lut.NumberOfTableValues = n_colors
+
+        # Capture the colorbar image and tick marks from the LINEAR LUT
+        # before any log/symlog transform so the bar always looks linear.
+        self.config.lut_img = lut_to_img(self.lut)
+        self._compute_ticks()
+
         if log_scale == "log":
             self._apply_log_to_lut()
         elif log_scale == "symlog":
             self._apply_symlog_to_lut()
 
-        if n_colors is not None:
-            self.lut.NumberOfTableValues = n_colors
-
         # Read the actual LUT range (may differ from color_range for log scale)
         ctf = self.lut.GetClientSideObject()
         self.config.effective_color_range = ctf.GetRange()
 
-        self.config.lut_img = lut_to_img(self.lut)
-        self._compute_ticks()
-
         # Force mapper to pick up LUT changes
         self.mapper.SetLookupTable(ctf)
         self.mapper.Modified()
@@ -330,24 +332,25 @@ def update_color_range(self, *_):
         )
 
     def _compute_ticks(self):
-        vmin, vmax = self.config.effective_color_range
+        vmin, vmax = self.config.color_range
         ticks = compute_color_ticks(vmin, vmax, scale=self.config.use_log_scale, n=5)
-        # Sample colors exactly as lut_to_img does: use RGBPoints range
-        rgb_points = self.lut.RGBPoints
-        if len(rgb_points) < 4:
+        if not ticks:
             self.config.color_ticks = []
             return
+        # The colorbar image is always rendered from the linear LUT, so
+        # sample contrast colors using the linear color_range.
         ctf = self.lut.GetClientSideObject()
         rgb = [0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
-        img_min = rgb_points[0]
-        img_max = rgb_points[-4]
-        img_range = img_max - img_min
-        if img_range == 0:
+        cr_min, cr_max = float(vmin), float(vmax)
+        cr_range = cr_max - cr_min
+        if cr_range == 0:
             self.config.color_ticks = []
             return
         for tick in ticks:
+            # tick position is already in the correct visual space (0-100%)
             t = tick["position"] / 100.0
-            value = img_min + t * img_range
+            # Map back to the linear data range to sample the color
+            value = cr_min + t * cr_range
             ctf.GetColor(value, rgb)
             tick["color"] = tick_contrast_color(rgb[0], rgb[1], rgb[2])
         self.config.color_ticks = ticks
diff --git a/src/e3sm_quickview/view_manager2.py b/src/e3sm_quickview/view_manager2.py
index 27d3ea7..1e9c098 100644
--- a/src/e3sm_quickview/view_manager2.py
+++ b/src/e3sm_quickview/view_manager2.py
@@ -180,21 +180,23 @@ def update_color_preset(self, name, invert, log_scale, n_colors=255):
         self._apply_linear_to_lut(invert)
         self.lut.RescaleTransferFunction(*self.config.color_range)
 
+        if n_colors is not None:
+            self.lut.NumberOfTableValues = n_colors
+
+        # Capture the colorbar image and tick marks from the LINEAR LUT
+        # before any log/symlog transform so the bar always looks linear.
+        self.config.lut_img = lut_to_img(self.lut)
+        self._compute_ticks()
+
         if log_scale == "log":
             self._apply_log_to_lut()
         elif log_scale == "symlog":
             self._apply_symlog_to_lut()
 
-        if n_colors is not None:
-            self.lut.NumberOfTableValues = n_colors
-
         # Read the actual LUT range (may differ from color_range for log scale)
         ctf = self.lut.GetClientSideObject()
         self.config.effective_color_range = ctf.GetRange()
 
-        self.config.lut_img = lut_to_img(self.lut)
-        self._compute_ticks()
-
         # Force mapper to pick up LUT changes
         self.mapper.SetLookupTable(ctf)
         self.mapper.Modified()
@@ -347,24 +349,25 @@ def update_color_range(self, *_):
         )
 
     def _compute_ticks(self):
-        vmin, vmax = self.config.effective_color_range
+        vmin, vmax = self.config.color_range
         ticks = compute_color_ticks(vmin, vmax, scale=self.config.use_log_scale, n=5)
-        # Sample colors exactly as lut_to_img does: use RGBPoints range
-        rgb_points = self.lut.RGBPoints
-        if len(rgb_points) < 4:
+        if not ticks:
             self.config.color_ticks = []
             return
+        # The colorbar image is always rendered from the linear LUT, so
+        # sample contrast colors using the linear color_range.
         ctf = self.lut.GetClientSideObject()
         rgb = [0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
-        img_min = rgb_points[0]
-        img_max = rgb_points[-4]
-        img_range = img_max - img_min
-        if img_range == 0:
+        cr_min, cr_max = float(vmin), float(vmax)
+        cr_range = cr_max - cr_min
+        if cr_range == 0:
             self.config.color_ticks = []
             return
         for tick in ticks:
+            # tick position is already in the correct visual space (0-100%)
             t = tick["position"] / 100.0
-            value = img_min + t * img_range
+            # Map back to the linear data range to sample the color
+            value = cr_min + t * cr_range
             ctf.GetColor(value, rgb)
             tick["color"] = tick_contrast_color(rgb[0], rgb[1], rgb[2])
         self.config.color_ticks = ticks