Hmmm. I can't get it to work myself, so I tried looking at this mod for the answer. I still cant' get it to work.
This is my version, which looks to be functionally similar to this hack (which I also tried but got the exact same results outlined below):
UPDATED W/EDIT:
<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" valign="bottom">
<tr>
<td style="$stylevar[left]">
<img src="$stylevar/inkbleed/topl_tcat.gif">
</td>
<td background="$stylevar[imagesfolder]/inkbleed/top_tcat.gif" width="100%">
</td>
<td style="$stylevar[right]">
<img src="$stylevar[imagesfolder]/inkbleed/topr_tcat.gif">
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<if condition="$forum[forumid] == 2">
<else />
</table><table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
</if>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tcat" colspan="<if condition="$vboptions[showmoderatorcolumn]">6<else />5</if>">
<a style="float:$stylevar[right]" href="#top" onclick="return toggle_collapse('forumbit_$forumid')"><img id="collapseimg_forumbit_$forumid" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/collapse_tcat{$collapseimg_forumid}.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>
<a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$forum[forumid]">$forum[title]</a>
<if condition="$show['forumdescription']"><div class="smallfont">$forum[description]</div></if>
<if condition="$show['subforums']"><div class="smallfont"><strong>$vbphrase[subforums]</strong>: $forum[subforums]</div></if>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
<if condition="$childforumbits">
<tbody id="collapseobj_forumbit_$forumid" style="{$collapseobj_forumid}">
<tr align="center">
<td class="thead"> </td>
<td class="thead" width="100%" align="$stylevar[left]">$vbphrase[forum]</td>
<td class="thead" width="175">$vbphrase[last_post]</td>
<td class="thead">$vbphrase[threads]</td>
<td class="thead">$vbphrase[posts]</td>
<if condition="$vboptions[showmoderatorcolumn]">
<td class="thead">$vbphrase[moderator]</td>
</if>
</tr>
$childforumbits
</tbody>
</if>
<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" valign="bottom">
<tr>
<td style="$stylevar[left]">
<img src="$stylevar[imagesfolder]/inkbleed/bottoml_tcat.gif">
</td>
<td background="$stylevar[imagesfolder]/inkbleed/bottom_tcat.gif" width="100%">
</td>
<td style="$stylevar[right]">
<img src="$stylevar[imagesfolder]/inkbleed/bottomr_tcat.gif">
</td>
</tr>
</table>
I had moved the headers under the categories on my own before this, so I didn't install the other recommended hack. (I've looked at it and it's exactly the same thing anyway...)
I didn't add the spacer hack because my images already act as automatic spacers.
What happens with the above is that the first category doesn't follow the proper class, so the background doesn't follow the 1st/2nd alternating colour styles, and the img is subject to the cellpadding rather than flush. My second category has the proper style but there is a space after its top image and the category text.
I don't get it...
edit:
I fixed some of it. The problem was I put "1" as my first forum, instead of "2". That has now solved the style issue.
BUT... I still have a gap (looks like 1st/2nd alternative colour) between the bottom image and the following top image, as well as a blank space (?) between the top cat image and the forum contents. So, I can't get the bottom/top images to lie flush, nor can I get the top image to lie flush with the contents of the category.
edit:
I went back to my method (using img within cell instead of cell/background for middle image.
I solved the extra gaps by [i]adding a break after each left/middle/right image in the top and bottom tables. I've run into this before, where adding a break will remove a space, but I can't figure that out. It's just been, to me, a cheat fix. Anyone care to explain this one to me?
Anyway, I've got it all sorted out. Thanks for putting up with all my edits. ;)