diff --git a/src/zzt/elements.rs b/src/zzt/elements.rs
index 3fc8016..a132db5 100644
--- a/src/zzt/elements.rs
+++ b/src/zzt/elements.rs
@@ -274,3 +274,70 @@ pub fn element_name(id: u8) -> String {
         None => format!("unknown ({})", id),
     }
 }
+
+/// Convert an element name back to its ID.
+/// Handles "unknown_N" format for unknown element IDs.
+pub fn element_id_from_name(name: &str) -> Option<u8> {
+    // Handle "unknown_N" format first
+    if let Some(suffix) = name.strip_prefix("unknown_") {
+        return suffix.parse().ok();
+    }
+    // Match all known element names to their IDs
+    match name {
+        "empty" => Some(0),
+        "board_edge" => Some(1),
+        "messenger" => Some(2),
+        "monitor" => Some(3),
+        "player" => Some(4),
+        "ammo" => Some(5),
+        "torch" => Some(6),
+        "gem" => Some(7),
+        "key" => Some(8),
+        "door" => Some(9),
+        "scroll" => Some(10),
+        "passage" => Some(11),
+        "duplicator" => Some(12),
+        "bomb" => Some(13),
+        "energizer" => Some(14),
+        "star" => Some(15),
+        "clockwise" => Some(16),
+        "counter" => Some(17),
+        "bullet" => Some(18),
+        "water" => Some(19),
+        "forest" => Some(20),
+        "solid" => Some(21),
+        "normal" => Some(22),
+        "breakable" => Some(23),
+        "boulder" => Some(24),
+        "sliderns" => Some(25),
+        "sliderew" => Some(26),
+        "fake" => Some(27),
+        "invisible" => Some(28),
+        "blinkwall" => Some(29),
+        "transporter" => Some(30),
+        "line" => Some(31),
+        "ricochet" => Some(32),
+        "blink_ray_h" => Some(33),
+        "bear" => Some(34),
+        "ruffian" => Some(35),
+        "object" => Some(36),
+        "slime" => Some(37),
+        "shark" => Some(38),
+        "spinninggun" => Some(39),
+        "pusher" => Some(40),
+        "lion" => Some(41),
+        "tiger" => Some(42),
+        "blink_ray_v" => Some(43),
+        "head" => Some(44),
+        "segment" => Some(45),
+        // 46 is unused
+        "text_blue" => Some(47),
+        "text_green" => Some(48),
+        "text_cyan" => Some(49),
+        "text_red" => Some(50),
+        "text_purple" => Some(51),
+        "text_brown" => Some(52),
+        "text_black" => Some(53),
+        _ => None,
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/zzt/text.rs b/src/zzt/text.rs
index e9207a2..8ab98ba 100644
--- a/src/zzt/text.rs
+++ b/src/zzt/text.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use nom::{
     sequence::pair,
 };
 
-use super::elements::{Element, element_name, resolve_alias};
+use super::elements::{Element, element_id_from_name, element_name, resolve_alias};
 use super::error::ParseError;
 use super::parse::{Board, Program, Stat, Tile, World};
 
@@ -206,10 +206,14 @@ fn write_stat(output: &mut String, index: usize, stat: &Stat, element: Option<u8
     kv!(output, "y_step", stat.y_step, 0);
 
     if stat.under.element != Element::Empty as u8 || stat.under.color != 0x0f {
+        let elem_name = match Element::from_u8(stat.under.element) {
+            Some(e) => e.name().to_string(),
+            None => format!("unknown_{}", stat.under.element),
+        };
         writeln!(
             output,
-            "under = ({}, {})",
-            stat.under.element, stat.under.color
+            "under = ({}, 0x{:02x})",
+            elem_name, stat.under.color
         )
         .unwrap();
     }
@@ -374,18 +378,44 @@ fn boolean(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, bool> {
     alt((value(true, tag("true")), value(false, tag("false")))).parse(input)
 }
 
-/// Parse a tuple like (element, color).
+/// Parse a hex number like 0x0f or 0x1F.
+fn hex_u8(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, u8> {
+    let (input, _) = tag("0x").parse(input)?;
+    let (input, hex_str) = take_while1(|c: char| c.is_ascii_hexdigit()).parse(input)?;
+    match u8::from_str_radix(hex_str, 16) {
+        Ok(n) => Ok((input, n)),
+        Err(_) => Err(nom::Err::Error(nom::error::Error::new(
+            input,
+            nom::error::ErrorKind::HexDigit,
+        ))),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Parse a tuple like (element_name, 0xNN) or legacy (element_id, color).
+/// Supports both new format: (empty, 0x0f) and legacy: (0, 15).
 fn tuple2(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, (u8, u8)> {
     let (input, _) = char('(').parse(input)?;
     let (input, _) = multispace0.parse(input)?;
-    let (input, a) = map_res(digit1, |s: &str| s.parse::<u8>()).parse(input)?;
+
+    // First value: element name (identifier) or decimal number
+    let (input, element_id) = alt((
+        // Element name (identifier) -> convert to ID
+        map(identifier, |name| element_id_from_name(name).unwrap_or(0)),
+        // Legacy: decimal element ID
+        map_res(digit1, |s: &str| s.parse::<u8>()),
+    ))
+    .parse(input)?;
+
     let (input, _) = multispace0.parse(input)?;
     let (input, _) = char(',').parse(input)?;
     let (input, _) = multispace0.parse(input)?;
-    let (input, b) = map_res(digit1, |s: &str| s.parse::<u8>()).parse(input)?;
+
+    // Second value: hex color (0xNN) or decimal color
+    let (input, color) = alt((hex_u8, map_res(digit1, |s: &str| s.parse::<u8>()))).parse(input)?;
+
     let (input, _) = multispace0.parse(input)?;
     let (input, _) = char(')').parse(input)?;
-    Ok((input, (a, b)))
+    Ok((input, (element_id, color)))
 }
 
 /// Parse a string array like ["foo", "bar", ""].