As a theoretical problem, overlap is an intriguing issue for the markup community generally. For ma[n]y users of the TEI (Text Encoding Initiative) Guidelines (TEIP4), however, it is particularly urgent and more practical. Because TEI users are typically transcribing texts rather than authoring them, they must accurately capture the features of their sources, even if these involve overlapping hierarchies. And since the TEI community so often creates digital texts that must serve a multidisciplinary audience, they must often mark many different types of textual features, which often tend to overlap, in a single text.