diff --git a/packages/core/src/editor.js b/packages/core/src/editor.js
index 236e459..28dbe9e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/editor.js
+++ b/packages/core/src/editor.js
@@ -463,11 +463,13 @@ export class Editor {
   }
 
   shapesSorted() {
-    // highlighter lives under the ink, like on paper — highlights render
-    // first (in their own z order), everything else above
+    // images are the paper — beneath everything — then highlighters soak in
+    // above them, like marker over print, with the ink on top. Within each
+    // layer shapes order by z-index, ties broken by id.
+    const layer = (s) => (s.type === 'image' ? 0 : s.type === 'highlight' ? 1 : 2)
     return this.store.shapes().sort(
       (a, b) =>
-        (a.type === 'highlight' ? 0 : 1) - (b.type === 'highlight' ? 0 : 1) ||
+        layer(a) - layer(b) ||
         a.z - b.z ||
         (a.id < b.id ? -1 : 1)
     )
diff --git a/packages/core/test/editor.test.js b/packages/core/test/editor.test.js
index 25280ff..38dca09 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/editor.test.js
+++ b/packages/core/test/editor.test.js
@@ -551,6 +551,25 @@ describe('export', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('render order', () => {
+  it('paints images beneath highlighters beneath everything else, whatever the z-index', () => {
+    const shape = (id, type, z) => ({ id, typeName: 'shape', type, x: 0, y: 0, rot: 0, z, props: {} })
+    editor.store.put(shape('geo-hi', 'geo', 99))
+    editor.store.put(shape('hl-lo', 'highlight', 1))
+    editor.store.put(shape('img-mid', 'image', 50))
+    expect(editor.shapesSorted().map((s) => s.id)).toEqual(['img-mid', 'hl-lo', 'geo-hi'])
+  })
+
+  it('orders within each layer by z, ties by id', () => {
+    const shape = (id, type, z) => ({ id, typeName: 'shape', type, x: 0, y: 0, rot: 0, z, props: {} })
+    editor.store.put(shape('b', 'geo', 2))
+    editor.store.put(shape('a', 'geo', 1))
+    editor.store.put(shape('d', 'image', 9))
+    editor.store.put(shape('c', 'image', 3))
+    expect(editor.shapesSorted().map((s) => s.id)).toEqual(['c', 'd', 'a', 'b'])
+  })
+})
+
 describe('events & lifecycle', () => {
   it('emits change/selection/tool events and unsubscribes cleanly', () => {
     const changes = vi.fn(), sel = vi.fn(), tool = vi.fn()