It is a long time since I made use of transparent map backgrounds, and on trying just now I think it is no longer working (at least in 5.3.10, 5.3.9 and maybe earlier versions I get white backgrounds instead). Or perhaps I am making a silly mistake? I thought the problem might be the same as the bug in 5.3.5 when this feature was first introduced http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.gis.therion/2349/match=map+bg+transparen t but it seems I get opaque white backgrounds with either syntax. within an explicitly defined layout; layout LayoutMapBulmer_System colour map-bg transparent endlayout LayoutMapBulmer_System or as part of the export map command; export map -projection [elevation 270 deg] \ -layout LayoutMapBulmer_System \ -layout LayoutMapBulmer_SystemElev \ -layout-colour map-bg transparent \ -output ./Output/MapBeautBulmerLate08System_Elev.pdf You can test this by creating a pdf map with a transparent background and inserting it into another map with 'map-image'. Does anyone else find that transparent backgrounds are not working? Bruce