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#### 9.9.2 Overlap Keyword

Sometime one explicitly wants two elements to overlap. One prime case is to show slanted messages to cross each other. You could do it via parallel blocks allowing overlap via ‘`layout=overlap`’ but that is a bit cumbersome for overlapping short parts. A shorthand is offered by the `overlap` keyword.

Specifying this keyword in front of any element will result in ignoring this element at the layout of subsequent elements. The next element will be laid out exactly at the same vertical position as the element marked with `overlap` drawing on top of it. Subsequent are then laid out below and can still overlap the element marked with `overlap`. This effect is in place till the next closing brace (or the end of the file).

Thus this keyword is similar to the `parallel` keyword, but it allows direct overlap, not just side-by-side layout.