# HTML Sidebar Background **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/html-sidebar-background/204529 "2003-09-29T19:01:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/html-sidebar-background/204529/1 "2003-09-29T19:01:55Z")
How can I place a background behind the sidebar? For instance, on the left side of my page, I have various links, however, behind them I’d like to have a background. I hope that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/html-sidebar-background/204529/2 "2003-09-29T19:10:34Z")
There’s lots of ways. you can have a background image with a DIV like this: > [@](#): > > \
> Your buttons > \ you can make a background image for a table. Like this: > [@](#): > > \ > \\ > YOUR BUTTONS > \\ > \ You can make a big table for your site and just give a background to the cell with the buttons in it: > [@](#): > > \
> \\
> YOUR BUTTONS > \\ > THE REST OF YOUR PAGE > \\ > \ Of course you gotta make nicer, fuller code and check across all browsers. Last time I checked the NS4 series it had wacky cell background image handling. Oh and if you just want solid color backgrounds, the code for tables is bgcolor=####### and for style tags it’s style=“background-color:#######” That help? ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/html-sidebar-background/204529/3 "2003-09-29T20:11:41Z")
That was outstanding, many thanks. I did know that at one time, but it’s been years since I’ve dealt with HTML. Anyways, many thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/html-sidebar-background/204529/4 "2003-09-29T21:01:51Z")
Oh, one more question. Is there a way to push a table all the way to the left side of the page, so there’s no gap? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/html-sidebar-background/204529/5 "2003-09-29T21:07:16Z")
Yeah, if you’ve got the table set at width=100% then you can also do this to your body tag: > [@](#): > > \ Add all that stuff to your existing body tag, btw. Don’t just add another body tag 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/html-sidebar-background/204529/6 "2003-09-29T21:32:44Z")
Thanks Zipper, you’ve been a huge help.