I've noticed a lot of people on here skin there profiles where in PMs and threads they have a custom background behind their text. How do I do that?

What you are describing is called a layout. There are many ways of obtaining one, depending on your ranking within the site.    If you are not trusted, you can only buy one or make one using a simple creator. To do either of these, scroll up and hit that link in the very top left corner which reads "Edit Profile and Settings". Once there, find the green link that says "Edit My Layout."

From there, if you want to buy, you can click on the layout shop.  There are hundreds of layouts available, so you could search in there until you find something you like. Otherwise, you can create your own by clicking "New Layout".  When you click on this, you come to a page which contains the simple editor, and filling it in pretty self explanatory.  The simple creator, however,  splits your layout into three horizontal strips, and that can't be changed.  Also, any images you use must be uploaded to vizzed.

Finally, you can always buy layouts from this forum area.  Many people have their own shops where they will take requests and charge a fee to make them.  If you're interested, here is my own shop, and it's one of the cheaper ones there.

Otherwise, if you're active and polite enough that people rate you into a trusted status, you can create your own layout.  You'd have to know some basic CSS coding though, and you would click on the advanced layout editor link, right above the simple layout editor.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Uh...you lost me there. What exactly is a layout?

A layout is what you were asking about... the custom background behind people's posts and pms.

So, unless my ranking is higher I can't make my own. That's not fair. And I don't believe in paying for something you can't actually get, in the mail.

Konekodemon :  No, the only way you can't make a layout, is if you are a newbie.  If you are a regular member (you've been on the site for 7 days and you've made at least ten posts)... if you're at least a member, you can create a layout.  However you can only create a simple layout using the editor I told you how to get to.  It's just that your layout will be split into three horizontal strips.

And you don't pay real money.  LOL  You pay viz, which you earn by logging in and making posts.

Konekodemon : Hi Konekodemon. You CAN make your own by using the layout creator. And Singelli would not take your money, but simply some Viz. And I will give you that Viz right now, so you can get a nice layout !