diff --git a/cfg/config.go b/cfg/config.go
index acafbcc..82b1c9c 100644
--- a/cfg/config.go
+++ b/cfg/config.go
@@ -55,8 +55,10 @@ type Config struct {
 	 FIXME: make configurable somehow, config file or ENV
 	 see https://github.com/gookit/color.
 	*/
-	ColorStyle     color.Style
-	HighlightStyle color.Style
+	ColorStyle        color.Style
+	HighlightStyle    color.Style
+	NoHighlightStyle  color.Style
+	HighlightHdrStyle color.Style
 
 	NoColor bool
 
@@ -114,7 +116,9 @@ func Colors() map[color.Level]map[string]color.Color {
 		color.LevelRgb: {
 			// FIXME: maybe use something nicer
 			"bg": color.BgLightGreen, "fg": color.FgWhite,
-			"hlbg": color.BgBlue, "hlfg": color.FgWhite,
+			"hlbg": color.BgHiGreen, "hlfg": color.FgWhite,
+			"nohlbg": color.BgWhite, "nohlfg": color.FgLightGreen,
+			"hdrbg": color.BgBlue, "hdrfg": color.FgWhite,
 		},
 	}
 }
@@ -128,6 +132,8 @@ func (c *Config) DetermineColormode() {
 		colors := Colors()
 		c.ColorStyle = color.New(colors[level]["bg"], colors[level]["fg"])
 		c.HighlightStyle = color.New(colors[level]["hlbg"], colors[level]["hlfg"])
+		c.NoHighlightStyle = color.New(colors[level]["nohlbg"], colors[level]["nohlfg"])
+		c.HighlightHdrStyle = color.New(colors[level]["hdrbg"], colors[level]["hdrfg"])
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/helpers.go b/lib/helpers.go
index 9398cb2..df87336 100644
--- a/lib/helpers.go
+++ b/lib/helpers.go
@@ -154,24 +154,42 @@ func trimRow(row []string) []string {
 }
 
 func colorizeData(c cfg.Config, output string) string {
-	if len(c.Pattern) > 0 && !c.NoColor && color.IsConsole(os.Stdout) {
-		r := regexp.MustCompile("(" + c.Pattern + ")")
-		return r.ReplaceAllStringFunc(output, func(in string) string {
-			return c.ColorStyle.Sprint(in)
-		})
-	} else if c.UseHighlight && color.IsConsole(os.Stdout) {
+	if c.UseHighlight && color.IsConsole(os.Stdout) {
 		highlight := true
 		colorized := ""
+		first := true
 
 		for _, line := range strings.Split(output, "\n") {
 			if highlight {
-				line = c.HighlightStyle.Sprint(line)
+				if first {
+					// we  need to add  two spaces to the  header line
+					//  because tablewriter omits them for some reason
+					//  in pprint mode. This doesn't matter as long as
+					//  we don't use colorization. But with colors the
+					// missing spaces can be seen.
+					if c.OutputMode == cfg.Ascii {
+						line = line + "  "
+					}
+
+					line = c.HighlightHdrStyle.Sprint(line)
+					first = false
+				} else {
+					line = c.HighlightStyle.Sprint(line)
+				}
+			} else {
+				line = c.NoHighlightStyle.Sprint(line)
 			}
 			highlight = !highlight
+
 			colorized += line + "\n"
 		}
 
 		return colorized
+	} else if len(c.Pattern) > 0 && !c.NoColor && color.IsConsole(os.Stdout) {
+		r := regexp.MustCompile("(" + c.Pattern + ")")
+		return r.ReplaceAllStringFunc(output, func(in string) string {
+			return c.ColorStyle.Sprint(in)
+		})
 	} else {
 		return output
 	}
diff --git a/lib/printer.go b/lib/printer.go
index 1d76222..7b6cdcd 100644
--- a/lib/printer.go
+++ b/lib/printer.go
@@ -20,15 +20,16 @@ package lib
 import (
 	"encoding/csv"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/gookit/color"
-	"github.com/olekukonko/tablewriter"
-	"github.com/tlinden/tablizer/cfg"
-	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/gookit/color"
+	"github.com/olekukonko/tablewriter"
+	"github.com/tlinden/tablizer/cfg"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
 func printData(w io.Writer, c cfg.Config, data *Tabdata) {
@@ -148,9 +149,15 @@ func printAsciiData(w io.Writer, c cfg.Config, data *Tabdata) {
 	table.SetRowSeparator("")
 	table.SetHeaderLine(false)
 	table.SetBorder(false)
-	table.SetTablePadding("\t") // pad with tabs
 	table.SetNoWhiteSpace(true)
 
+	if !c.UseHighlight {
+		// the tabs destroy the highlighting
+		table.SetTablePadding("\t") // pad with tabs
+	} else {
+		table.SetTablePadding("   ")
+	}
+
 	table.Render()
 	output(w, color.Sprint(colorizeData(c, tableString.String())))
 }