Creating a "Shim"

1)	Open PhotoShop.
2)	"File" New.
3)	Create that new file at 1 pixel by 1 pixel, resolution 72, RGB, and a transparent Background color.
4)	Save that file as a .GIF in your images directory.

Creating the Table

1)	Select "Insert Table" Button
2)	Create a table that is 3 Rows, 3 Columns, Width 300 PIXELS, Border 0, Cell Padding 0, Cell Spacing 0.
3)	Click OK Your table should look like this.
4)	Merge the top 3 cells. (Click on the top right cell and drag to the top left cell. Then go to Modify, Table, Merge Cells.) Your table should now look like this.
5)	Merge your bottom 3 cells. Your table should look like this.
6)	Change the color of the background on the top cell. (select the cell you are going to change. Go to the "Properties" dialog box and change the Bg to the color you would like.) Your table should look like this.
7)	Change the bottom, right and left cell to that same color. Your table should look like this.
8)	Click in the top cell and click the "Insert Image" button.
9)	Insert the "Shim.gif" we created.
10)	Place your cursor in the top cell and go to the "Properties" dialog box and change the H to 1.
11)	Click in the bottom cell and click the "Insert Image" button.
12)	Insert the "Shim.gif" we created.
13)	Place your cursor in the bottom cell and go to the "Properties" dialog box and change the H to 1.
14)	Click in the left cell and click the "Insert Image" button.
15)	Insert the "Shim.gif" we created.
16)	Place your cursor in the left cell and go to the "Properties" dialog box and change the W to 1.
17)	Click in the right cell and click the "Insert Image" button.
18)	Insert the "Shim.gif" we created.
19)	Place your cursor in the right cell and go to the "Properties" dialog box and change the W to 1.
20)	Click out side your table and it should look like this.
21)	Now select the center cell and change it's color in the "Properties" dialog box.

What we have just done is create a table border and changed the inside of the table. This table that we have just created can have a different sized border. The way we control the size of the border is through the size of the "Shim" we use. If you would like a 10 pixel border on your table then you will need to change the size of the shim when you are inserting it.

Once you insert the "Shim" you go to the "Properties" dialog box and change it's proportions to 10 pixels by 10 pixels. This will in turn change the border of your table.

Things to remember. When insert a "Shim" it is invisible so you can stretch it to any size you want. This is okay for this image only because it is invisible and there will be no distortion of it.

Also if you are inserting a "Shim" to your table and your table is a set size, like in this exercise it was 300 pixels wide, Then you have to subtract the size of the shim from the table.

For example. If you have a table that is 300 pixels wide and you insert a shim on the left side that is 10 pixels wide and a shim on the right side that is 10 pixels wide then the inside area of the table is now 300 -10 -10 = 280. This is important if you are creating an image to go inside this table. You would then want to create an image that is 280 pixels wide so it can touch both sides of your table.