Need help and advice

ok im not the best in site makes but me and a mate a creating a site im doing the gfx and him the coding and what i want to know is this... i have made a black content box set to softlite andi want that to be like a text box but see through is it possible?

here is the site

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/776/12tb.jpg

The problem you have by using the gradient on the content box and background, is that it will require a very large image download.

best bet is to reduce the gradient to be a max of say 10 px high or maybe 20.

Or maybe have a fine red glowing edge. That way you just take a 1 px tall slice of the red glow, and use css to replicate it down the edge of your text box.

There is an interesting site that does a 'see through' effect, its a tad large and i most prob wouldnt design a site that way, but its an interesting example of what can be done. Have a gander at:

http://www.meyerweb.com/eric/css/edge/comp...piral/demo.html

The scrolling part wont work under ie, but the idea will work. use one image, make it look overlayed by how you design the image, use absolute positioning in css to get it where you want, and hey presto!

:edit:

btw, love the banner/logo design and i like where your going with your design.

thanks i'll just have to keep playing about, i'll have alook at the site now and prob do as you said with the gradient ;)