John Culleton
...and here is the compile error: ----------------------------------------------- generating graphics : metaposting mpgraph.mp
TeXExec 3.2 - ConTeXt / PRAGMA ADE 1997-2003
this looks new enough to me. And the following file works fine for me: %output=pdf \setupcolors[state=start] \definecolor[textgray][lightgray] \definetextbackground[bar] [backgroundcolor=textgray, backgroundoffset=.25cm, offset=.5cm, frame=off, location=paragraph, color=black] \starttext \definecolumnset[two][n=2] \startcolumnset[two] \setuptolerance[tolerant] \dorecurse{5}{\input tufte \par} \column \starttextbackground[bar] \input tufte \stoptextbackground \stopcolumnset \input knuth \stoptext Please make sure that you use a current metafun format. If it does not work, you might think about posting the complete output of the texexec run, since it may reveal some errors. And please: post complete (non) working examples, not some fragments. It helps to spot the errors. Patrick