diff --git a/server/routes/ai.js b/server/routes/ai.js
index 7db63fa..453b76c 100644
--- a/server/routes/ai.js
+++ b/server/routes/ai.js
@@ -95,9 +95,45 @@ function normalizeDesign(raw) {
       });
     }
   }
+
+  // De-overlap text lines (models stack them at the same y) and order shapes
+  // behind text so accent bands never hide the words.
+  const shapes = out.elements.filter((e) => e.type === 'shape');
+  const texts = out.elements.filter((e) => e.type === 'text');
+  deoverlapTexts(texts);
+  out.elements = [...shapes, ...texts];
   return out;
 }
 
+// Push text lines apart so they don't sit on top of each other. Only nudges a
+// line down when it also overlaps horizontally (leaves side-by-side text alone),
+// then shifts the whole stack up if it ran past the bottom margin. CW/CH match
+// fitText's width/height estimates.
+function deoverlapTexts(texts) {
+  const M = 4, GAP = 2.5, CW = 0.075, CH = 0.26;
+  const widthOf = (el) => Math.max(1, el.text.length) * el.fontSize * CW;
+  const heightOf = (el) => el.fontSize * CH;
+  const ordered = texts.map((el, i) => ({ el, i })).sort((a, b) => a.el.y - b.el.y || a.i - b.i);
+  const placed = [];
+  for (const cur of ordered) {
+    const cw = widthOf(cur.el);
+    let minY = M;
+    for (const p of placed) {
+      const hOverlap = cur.el.x < p.el.x + widthOf(p.el) && p.el.x < cur.el.x + cw;
+      if (hOverlap) minY = Math.max(minY, p.el.y + heightOf(p.el) + GAP);
+    }
+    if (cur.el.y < minY) cur.el.y = Math.round(minY * 10) / 10;
+    placed.push(cur);
+  }
+  let maxBottom = 0;
+  for (const p of placed) maxBottom = Math.max(maxBottom, p.el.y + heightOf(p.el));
+  const overflow = maxBottom - (100 - M);
+  if (overflow > 0 && placed.length) {
+    const shift = Math.min(overflow, Math.min(...placed.map((p) => p.el.y)) - M);
+    if (shift > 0) for (const p of placed) p.el.y = Math.round((p.el.y - shift) * 10) / 10;
+  }
+}
+
 // GET /api/ai/settings — workspace members (never returns the key)
 router.get('/settings', (req, res) => {
   const row = db.prepare('SELECT base_url, model, image_base_url, image_model, api_key_enc FROM ai_settings WHERE workspace_id = ?').get(req.workspaceId);
diff --git a/server/test/ai-design.test.js b/server/test/ai-design.test.js
index cc30274..e645534 100644
--- a/server/test/ai-design.test.js
+++ b/server/test/ai-design.test.js
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ test('normalizeDesign: keeps valid text+shape, sets background', () => {
   ]});
   assert.equal(d.background, '#102030');
   assert.equal(d.elements.length, 2);
-  assert.equal(d.elements[0].text, 'HELLO');
-  assert.equal(d.elements[0].fontFamily, 'Arial');
+  const txt = d.elements.find((e) => e.type === 'text');
+  assert.equal(txt.text, 'HELLO');
+  assert.equal(txt.fontFamily, 'Arial');
 });
 
 test('normalizeDesign: converts pixel shape dims to %, clamps ranges', () => {
@@ -86,3 +87,16 @@ test('normalizeDesign: long/large text is shrunk + repositioned to fit canvas',
   assert.ok(e.fontSize < 160, 'fontSize was shrunk');
   assert.ok(e.x >= 4 && e.y >= 4, 'within margins');
 });
+
+test('normalizeDesign: separates overlapping text + orders shapes behind text', () => {
+  const d = normalizeDesign({ elements: [
+    { type: 'text', x: 5, y: 40, text: 'HEADLINE TEXT HERE', fontSize: 60, color: '#fff' },
+    { type: 'text', x: 5, y: 41, text: 'SUBTEXT OVERLAPPING IT', fontSize: 40, color: '#fff' },
+    { type: 'shape', x: 0, y: 0, width: 100, height: 100, color: '#000', opacity: 0.5 },
+  ]});
+  assert.equal(d.elements[0].type, 'shape', 'shape rendered behind (first in array)');
+  const texts = d.elements.filter((e) => e.type === 'text');
+  const hi = texts[0].y <= texts[1].y ? texts[0] : texts[1];
+  const lo = texts[0].y <= texts[1].y ? texts[1] : texts[0];
+  assert.ok(lo.y >= hi.y + hi.fontSize * 0.22, 'text lines no longer overlap vertically');
+});