I have been using \definetextbackground[underline] [location=text,alternative=1,background=,frame=off] for underlining in my documents and \startuseMPgraphic{mpos:par:columnset} \iftracepositions show_multi_pars \else draw_multi_pars \fi ; path p ; p := boundingbox currentpicture ; currentpicture := currentpicture shifted (0,-StrutDepth/2) ; setbounds currentpicture to p ; \stopuseMPgraphic to control the depth of the underlining. Unfortunately, this underlining is still sometimes too far beneath the word underlined. I had thought the problem is the -StrutDepth/2. But even if I change it to an absolute value, the underlines to not appear at the same distance even when the word. Try this test file: \definetextbackground[underline] [location=text,alternative=1,background=,frame=off] \startuseMPgraphic{mpos:par:columnset} \iftracepositions show_multi_pars \else draw_multi_pars \fi ; path p ; p := boundingbox currentpicture ; currentpicture := currentpicture shifted (0,-.50) ; setbounds currentpicture to p ; \stopuseMPgraphic \starttext Donec \startunderline{gravida}\stopunderline{} posuere arcu. Donec \startunderline{gravida}\stopunderline{} posuere arcu. Donec \startunderline{gravida}\stopunderline{} posuere arcu. Donec \startunderline{gravida}\stopunderline{} posuere arcu. Donec \startunderline{gravida}\stopunderline{} posuere arcu. Donec \startunderline{gravida}\stopunderline{} posuere arcu. Donec \startunderline{gravida}\stopunderline{} posuere arcu. Donec \startunderline{gravida}\stopunderline{} posuere arcu. Donec \startunderline{gravida}\stopunderline{} posuere arcu. Donec \startunderline{gravida}\stopunderline{} posuere arcu. \stoptext What I need is underlining that occurs at a fixed/constant distance below the words underlined (allowing for descenders, of course, when they are present). Any suggestions? Alan