when i go into device_hfsplus.png and set what is currently there to a top layer, and create a completely black layer below, I see the text. this must be the issue, it has the light text without anything else's help
seems the process of saving a multilayer photoshop file as a .png eliminates the layers, and forces the text to be burnt into the overall image, as saving it directly as png, importing it into photoshop, and adding a black layer below always results in the faint text.
in case anyone is interested, i made a few edited images in the journey to figure this out. the device_selection.png(no more checkmark), as well hfsplus, ntfs and ext3 were edited(no more text faint or otherwise inside the selections, drive names are still there), also the boot.png was swapped from another one in this forum, ty btw).