If you cannot resolve the issue with paint margins DocWilson, you need to adjust the actual image itself to compensate. I have had to do it many times myself. It has to do with the spacing the OS gives for the user icon, even if you are not using a user icon.

Lightstar is correct saying it may be a SM sizing issue.

Also just for the heck of it, Change the amount of programs you show on the left side. Some people like that many but most don't use that amount. If you go 5 or 6 programs less it just may work fine. Will be watching to see if their is another suggestion for this situation.

you might not be cutting it properly....

Thanks for the info Lightstar and Dave. I do have aa habit of adding about 20-30 pixels to the bottom of the places list after I upload a skin, That way, it aligns fine when applied to my machine. I've tried reducing the number of recent programs being displayed and reducing the amount of programs showing in the places section also but to no avail.

You'll notice that each of my first two skins use seperate windows for the left and right side due to this very problem.

It's amazing that all the skins I download work fine and the skins I've posted align right also but for some reason, Stardock products just don't like my machine. Skin Studio isn't the only porgram I've had problems with.

I don't have the Wb so can't be sure. just another guess as in the early days I did have the problem once. The AllPrograms graphic is a fixed size as you know. Looks like it may be pushing up the left side. Try moving up the bottom of the Left and right hand places and programs list. Just shorten up the bottom height. Like Kitty said make sure you aren't cutting the left side along with the AP graphic. Doc. just guessing here but it won't take long to see if that is your problem.

Doc Wilson... your not supposed to add extra pixels to the bottom of the places list so it "fits" when its applied in skin studio.

you are supposed to make your startmenu as ONE WHOLE PIECE and then cut it up CORRECTLY AND CAREFULLY into the seperate parts for

the startmenu.

userpane, places list, programs list. ect.

you obviously need help with either making the startmenu or cutting it properly so it fits.

if you want you can send me your wba, if you send me a pm here ill give you my email address

FYI: The last time Mitch sent me the blind, it looked like this on my machine, and looked messed up like his screenshot on his PC.

 The start menu parts were cut correctly.

Obviously something was altered between the two occasions.

I would like to contribute some advice. Listen to Vamps!

I just looked at 3D blues, and you are not cutting the start menu properly.

You have the combined total on the left, consisting of the programs list and the all programs section=318 in height.

You have the places section sized at 324 in height.

The all programs back has to be 25 in height.

Now is my guess at why it works for us and not you. The six pixel difference is enhanced on your pc by a dpi setting or large text option, there bye making it worse on your pc. Hope it helps, if I am wrong I do apologize and meant no offense to anyone. DT1

Thanks Doortech fror the information, all this time I thought the height for the all programs section was 30 pixels and have been sizing accordingly. I know I used to keep my desktop fonts at 125% so I willl recheck t5hat too. At least this gives me a starting point for re-cutting my current Start menu. Please never take offense when providing possibilities as you never know what will turn on that lightbulb in my head. Now I have some guides to re-set in Photoshop so I can re-cut my start menu again.

As I said before, in my newbieness, I did some compensating in getting my start menu to line up on previous projects.

I just had to bring this continuing problem up out of frustration in having my SKS preview image lining up but not applying properly when the skin was installed.

Thanks again.

  just make sure that programs list + all programs background are the same height as the places list.

for example if the places list is 250 height.  you need to make sure that the programs list and the all programs background equal

that same height together. otherwise nothing is gonna line up

and make sure your pc is set to 100% and not 125%... that stuffs up everything too...

I know your his tutor xiandi.... Im just offering extra help.

You are very welcome Doc, glad it helped. If you are cutting a start menu with a specific pattern, especially a horizontal stripe or border, the image needs to be cut precise , meaning you should not have to paint margins. If it was just a solid color, would not be important, but to line things up, cutting is key.Also, do not feel bad, I did not even know an all programs section was in a skin until Vamps helped me! Cut all my earlier skins wrong. Still using 3D blues by the way, excellent skin, even with the start menu, cause it works on my pc!. Check that start button on 3d blues also, I do not know if you saw my comment on the skin, but just slightly off on the alignment. Think it was the fourth image had to be shifted, not sure though. If you have trouble lining up transparent images, try putting in an extra layer while you are working on the image, size a solid block to the frame size and place it behind the layers you are aligning, and use it for reference. works well to line up shadowed images, , just count pixel movement from the left or right edge, as you shift each image,of the solid image. Hope that makes sense, if not maybe someone else has a better method. Generally you can just figure out which image is off and shift a bit left or right , that works for me usually.Trial and error, only way to learn. Look forward to your next skin, DT1

One other thought, I have almost gone blind learning how to skin, not really, but close, so use your high dpi or large text, just not while making a skin, then you will see what we see, or if your me you see fuzzy images until I put my face inside the monitor!

Don't forget to apologize to stardock! It likes your pc, just not your cut and your large text.LOL. Picking on ya Doc.

Just to let you all know.... my Win7 font display size had been set to 125% for my old eyes. I changed it back to 100%

and re-made the start menu for my WIP (Asian Red). I did make a few changes by dropping down the "All Programs " insert so I would have some painting room at the bottom of my programs menu, that also helped a lot and finally things lined up on the start menu. Even my sub-style applied without mis-match and I didn't work on that one at all. YAY!

The main thing is that when  I applied the skin to my machine, it finally lined up perfectly. All these months I've been skinning and compensating for the problems caused by my display text settings.

Thanks to everyone that posted about this problem. I took in all the input and will put it to good use.