Thanks for the help, freestyle! I have a question about #2.
I followed your instructions to #2, but I have moved my navbar under my forum banner - when I did this, my navbar extended to the left and right side of the forum. The border has now also "stopped" under the navbar instead of going all the way to the top of the forum and now appears inbetween all the posts of my forum.
ex: one (http://i16.tinypic.com/6pyyoeg.png), two (http://i3.tinypic.com/6obhxua.png)
I previously used external borders using this (http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212742) guide but the border seems to stop under the navbar as well.
Here is my navbar template:
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
function log_out()
{
ht = document.getElementsByTagName("html");
ht[0].style.filter = "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.BasicImage(grays cale=1)";
if (confirm('$vbphrase[sure_you_want_to_log_out]'))
{
return true;
}
else
{
ht[0].style.filter = "";
return false;
}
}
//-->
</script>
<!-- nav buttons bar -->
<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%" height="25px" align="center" style="border-top-width:1px" style="border-left-width:1px">
<tr align="center">
<!--<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="$vboptions[forumhome].php?$session[sessionurl]">Home</a></td>-->
<if condition="$show['member']">
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="usercp.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[user_cp]</a></td>
</if>
<if condition="$show['registerbutton']">
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="register.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[register]</a></td>
</if>
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="faq.php?$session[sessionurl]" accesskey="5">$vbphrase[faq]</a></td>
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="memberlist.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[members_list]</a></td>
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="calendar.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[calendar]</a></td>
<if condition="$show['popups']">
<if condition="$show['searchbuttons']">
<if condition="$show['member']">
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=getnew" accesskey="2">$vbphrase[new_posts_nav]</a></td>
<else />
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=getdaily" accesskey="2">$vbphrase[todays_posts]</a></td>
</if>
<td id="navbar_search" class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]" accesskey="4">$vbphrase[search]</a> <script type="text/javascript"> vbmenu_register("navbar_search"); </script></td>
</if>
<if condition="$bbuserinfo['userid']">
<td id="usercptools" class="vbmenu_control"><a href="#usercptools">$vbphrase[quick_links]</a> <script type="text/javascript"> vbmenu_register("usercptools"); </script></td>
</if>
<else />
<if condition="$show['searchbuttons']">
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]" accesskey="4">$vbphrase[search]</a></td>
<if condition="$show['member']">
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=getnew" accesskey="2">$vbphrase[new_posts_nav]</a></td>
<else />
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=getdaily" accesskey="2">$vbphrase[todays_posts]</a></td>
</if>
</if>
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]do=markread">$vbphrase[mark_forums_read]</a></td>
<if condition="$bbuserinfo['userid']">
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="#" onclick="window.open('misc.php?$session[sessionurl]do=buddylist&focus=1','buddylist','statusbar=no,me nubar=no,toolbar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,w idth=250,height=300'); return false;">$vbphrase[open_buddy_list]</a></td>
</if>
</if>
<if condition="$bbuserinfo['userid']">
<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="login.php?$session[sessionurl]do=logout" onclick="return log_out()">$vbphrase[log_out]</a></td>
</if>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<!-- / nav buttons bar -->
<if condition="$show['popups']">
<!-- NAVBAR POPUP MENUS -->
<if condition="$show['searchbuttons']">
<!-- header quick search form -->
<div class="vbmenu_popup" id="navbar_search_menu" style="display:none">
<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" border="0">
<tr>
<td class="thead">$vbphrase[search_forums]</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="vbmenu_option" title="nohilite">
<form action="search.php" method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="do" value="process" />
<input type="hidden" name="showposts" value="0" />
<input type="text" class="bginput" name="query" size="20" />$gobutton<br />
</form>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]" accesskey="4">$vbphrase[advanced_search]</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<!-- / header quick search form -->
</if>
<if condition="$show['member']">
<!-- user cp tools menu -->
<div class="vbmenu_popup" id="usercptools_menu" style="display:none">
<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" border="0">
<tr><td class="thead">$vbphrase[quick_links]</td></tr>
<if condition="$vboptions['enablesearches']"><tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=getnew">$vbphrase[new_posts_nav]</a></td></tr></if>
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]do=markread">$vbphrase[mark_forums_read]</a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="#" onclick="window.open('misc.php?$session[sessionurl]do=buddylist&focus=1','buddylist','statusbar=no,me nubar=no,toolbar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,w idth=250,height=300'); return false;">$vbphrase[open_buddy_list]</a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="thead"><a href="usercp.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[user_control_panel]</a></td></tr>
<if condition="$show['siglink']"><tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="profile.php?$session[sessionurl]do=editsignature">$vbphrase[edit_signature]</a></td></tr></if>
<if condition="$show['avatarlink']"><tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="profile.php?$session[sessionurl]do=editavatar">$vbphrase[edit_avatar]</a></td></tr></if>
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="profile.php?$session[sessionurl]do=editprofile">$vbphrase[edit_profile]</a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="profile.php?$session[sessionurl]do=editoptions">$vbphrase[edit_options]</a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="thead">$vbphrase[miscellaneous]</td></tr>
<if condition="$show['pmstats']"><tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="private.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[private_messages]</a></td></tr></if>
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="subscription.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[subscribed_threads]</a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="member.php?$session[sessionurl]u=$bbuserinfo[userid]">$vbphrase[my_profile]</a></td></tr>
<if condition="$show['wollink']"><tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="online.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[whos_online]</a></td></tr></if>
</table>
</div>
<!-- / user cp tools menu -->
</if>
<!-- / NAVBAR POPUP MENUS -->
</if>
<!-- content table -->
$spacer_open
$_phpinclude_output
<br />
<!-- breadcrumb, login, pm info -->
<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
<td class="alt1" width="100%">
<if condition="is_array($navbits)">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
<tr valign="bottom">
<td><a href="#" onclick="history.back(1)"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_misc]/navbits_start.gif" alt="$vbphrase[go_back]" border="0" /></a></td>
<td> </td>
<td width="100%"><span class="navbar"><a href="$vboptions[forumhome].php?$session[sessionurl]" accesskey="1">$vboptions[bbtitle]</a></span> $navbits[breadcrumb]</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="navbar" style="font-size:10pt; padding-top:1px" colspan="3"> <strong>$navbits[lastelement]</strong></td>
</tr>
</table>
<else />
<div class="navbar" style="font-size:10pt"><a href="$vboptions[forumhome].php?$session[sessionurl]" accesskey="1"><img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_misc]/navbits_start.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a> <strong>$vboptions[bbtitle]</strong></div>
</if>
</td>
<if condition="$bbuserinfo['userid']">
<td class="alt2" valign="top" nowrap="nowrap">
<div class="smallfont">
<!--<span style="float:$stylevar[right]">[<a href="login.php?$session[sessionurl]do=logout" onclick="return log_out()">$vbphrase[log_out]</a>]</span>-->
<strong><phrase 1="$bbuserinfo[username]">$vbphrase[welcome_x]</phrase></strong><br />
<phrase 1="$pmbox[lastvisitdate]" 2="$pmbox[lastvisittime]">$vbphrase[last_visited_x_at_y]</phrase>
<if condition="$show['pmstats']"><br /><phrase 1="$vbphrase[unread_x_nav_compiled]" 2="$vbphrase[total_x_nav_compiled]" 3="$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[private_messages_nav]</phrase></if>
</div>
</td>
<else />
<td class="alt2" nowrap="nowrap" style="padding:0px">
<!-- login form -->
<form action="login.php" method="post" onsubmit="md5hash(vb_login_password,vb_login_md5password)">
<script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/vbulletin_md5.js"></script>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0">
<tr>
<td class="smallfont">$vbphrase[username]</td>
<td><input type="text" class="button" name="vb_login_username" id="navbar_username" size="10" accesskey="u" tabindex="1" value="$vbphrase[username]" onfocus="if (this.value == '$vbphrase[username]') this.value = '';" /></td>
<td class="smallfont" colspan="2" nowrap="nowrap"><label for="cb_cookieuser_navbar"><input type="checkbox" name="cookieuser" value="1" tabindex="3" id="cb_cookieuser_navbar" accesskey="c" checked="checked" />$vbphrase[remember_me]</label></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="smallfont">$vbphrase[password]</td>
<td><input type="password" class="button" name="vb_login_password" size="10" accesskey="p" tabindex="2" /></td>
<td><input type="submit" class="button" value="$vbphrase[log_in]" tabindex="4" title="$vbphrase[enter_username_to_login_or_register]" accesskey="s" /></td>
</tr>
</table>
<input type="hidden" name="s" value="$session[sessionhash]" />
<input type="hidden" name="do" value="login" />
<input type="hidden" name="forceredirect" value="1" />
<input type="hidden" name="vb_login_md5password" />
</form>
<!-- / login form -->
</td>
</if>
</tr>
</table>
<!-- / breadcrumb, login, pm info -->
<br />