You need to specify both background=color and backgroundcolor=darkyellow, AFAIK.
I just tried this, now I lose the (formerly grey) background band completey; and there is no effect in the overlay: ============== \def\ALAVIband{\midaligned{ | \vbox{\hsize=15cm | \setupcolors[state=start] | \setupbackground[background=color, %%% your change | foregroundcolor=darkgreen, | backgroundcolor=darkblue | ] | \startbackground | \hbox{}\vskip14pt | \midaligned{\tfa THE ALAVI FOUNDATION} | \stopbackground | } | } | } ------- \setupbackgrounds[page][leftedge][background=color, %%% your change | background=backgr, | backgroundcolor=darkgreen] ============== Any ideas? Best Idris