This section of the tool bar contains the "fun" buttons.  To use a background, you have to first create a table.  Click on the table icon (it is outlined in pink in this chart).

This is the table menu that will pop open when you click on the icon.  Select the numbers and change them to however many rows and columns you think you will need.  It is better to use fewer than you may need initially, because it is easier to add one than it is to delete an extra one.

Padding and spacing refers to the space you allow around the data and between the cells of your table.  It can be used for special effects.  In this case I have allowed 20 for each.  This is why the gold background I inserted shows  up more like a frame.

Borders are easy to understand.  If you do not want a border (and the outline around the cells) change the number to 0.  If you want a bigger border, put in a bigger number.

Backgrounds can be fun.  the easiest thing to do is just pick a color.  If you want to have a fancy background, you have to have a tile uploaded into the photo album.  Go to the album, place your curser over the image, right click then click on "properties".  When the dialog box opens you will see a notation Url.  That is the web address of your image.  Highlight that, copy it, and paste it in the BACKGROUND IMAGE URL space that you see above.   

When you first make a table, a tiny little box shows up.  It needs to be expanded.  The easiest way to do that is simply insert your curser in the middle of your table and start typing.  Or you can click on the USE HTML notation at the bottom of the editing box.  This is the HTML for this table:

<TABLE class="" borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=20 cellPadding=20 background=http://sc.communities.msn.com/tn/C1/72/
OddPeople/7e/9fa.jpg border=5  width=100%>

The red part is something you have to type in yourself.  Change it to some percentage of the width of the final message.  When you have a complicated background, you will want to make a second table inside the first.  The background on that one will be plain so that your typing shows up in good contrast. 

I converted an old photo albumn of mine for use with tiles.  It is now called background tiles.  I think it is currently on the forth page of mug shot albums.  You are welcome to use that and any of the tiles in it if you want.  For now, animated images are being saved as JPG and not GIF, so they will not animate.  But one day, animated backgrounds will show up too.  It is important to remember that you must either make your backgrounds yourself or get them from a site that offers FREE tiles for downloading.  Copyright infringement is one thing that will get a community closed down!