I may want to mention that last time I checked other browsers were having trouble with table backgrounds and did not view them properly or at all. That was about a year ago so you may want to look into it to see if those problems have been changed. I know netscape wasn't capable of it. For maximum compatibility use CSS, since you are a beginner maybe you should take a break from your project and read an HTML book and then a CSS book so you are certain to get it right. Understanding web design can help you create some awesome sites, just an idea. Good luck.