Hello list, this MWE is a simplified version of a real case: \startuseMPgraphic{cell:triangle} path p ; p := unittriangle rotated 90 xscaled 2.5 OverlayWidth yscaled 2.5 OverlayHeight ; draw p withcolor red ; \stopuseMPgraphic \defineoverlay[triangle][{\uniqueMPgraphic{cell:triangle}}] \starttext \bTABLE[frame=off] \bTR \bTD[nx=2,background=triangle,align=middle] \dontleavehmode a\crlf text \eTD \eTR \bTR[toffset=1mm] \bTD left \eTD \bTD right \eTD \eTR \eTABLE \stoptext The triangle is used as background of the 2-column wide cell of the first row. I want the triangle to go around the second row too, as if it were a frame for all the 3 cells. It means that it should be shifted down a bit. So I tried this: \startuseMPgraphic{cell:triangle} path p ; p := unittriangle rotated 90 xscaled 2.5 OverlayWidth yscaled 2.5 OverlayHeight ; draw p shifted (0,-3mm) withcolor red ; \stopuseMPgraphic ... but it does not work, because the content of the background is centered on the cell, so "shifted (0,-3mm)" has no effect. The only solution I found is drawing something above the triangle with a neutral color, so that the whole background is centered in the cell and the red triangle goes down: \startuseMPgraphic{cell:triangle} path p ; p := unittriangle rotated 90 xscaled 2.5 OverlayWidth yscaled 2.5 OverlayHeight ; fill p shifted (0,6mm) withcolor white ; % only to move the next one down draw p withcolor red ; \stopuseMPgraphic \defineoverlay[triangle][{\uniqueMPgraphic{cell:triangle}}] \starttext \bTABLE[frame=off] \bTR \bTD[nx=2,background=triangle,align=middle] \dontleavehmode a\crlf text \eTD \eTR \bTR[toffset=1mm] \bTD left \eTD \bTD right \eTD \eTR \eTABLE \stoptext It's a dirty trick. I'm sure there's a cleaner way. Does anybody know it? Thanks, Massi