diff --git a/luamplib.dtx b/luamplib.dtx
index a1e15b1..d42a72f 100644
--- a/luamplib.dtx
+++ b/luamplib.dtx
@@ -3379,9 +3379,10 @@ local function do_preobj_TR(object,prescript)
   if opaq then
     local key, on, os, new
     local mode = prescript.tr_alternative or 1
-    mode = transparancy_modes[tonumber(mode) or mode]
+    mode = transparancy_modes[tonumber(mode) or mode:lower()]
     if not mode then
-      warn("unsupported blend mode: '%s'", prescript.tr_alternative)
+      mode = prescript.tr_alternative
+      warn("unsupported blend mode: '%s'", mode)
     end
     opaq = format("%.3f", opaq) :gsub(decimals,rmzeros)
     for i,v in ipairs{ {mode,opaq},{"Normal",1} } do
diff --git a/test-luamplib-latex.tex b/test-luamplib-latex.tex
index a4248a2..71a87ae 100644
--- a/test-luamplib-latex.tex
+++ b/test-luamplib-latex.tex
@@ -345,7 +345,9 @@
   draw test withpattern "mypatt" ;
 \endmpfig
 \mpfig
-  draw maketext "\bfseries\TeX" rotated 30 scaled 3
+  picture tex;
+  tex = mplibgraphictext "\bfseries\TeX" rotated 30 scaled 4;
+  draw tex
     withshadingmethod "linear"
     withshadingvector (3,0)
     withshadingcolors (red,blue)