I would like to have an image for the background fill on every page other than the very first page. On the first page, I want there to be a large image with grey on the sides. The other pages, have a different image on the 2 sides. Is there a way to make it different for each individual page?

Go to the page you want to alter.
Click on "Page" at the top of VSD.
Now select your background settings from the Page properties box that opens to the right.

Doing that changes the background. I am looking to change what appears on the right and left borders of the background if a page is doesn't stretch to the whole width.

Eric, that sounds like a job for.... JAVA SCRIPT

I forgot I already had a workaround for this. Read my signature.
http://progrower.coffeecup.com/opacity.html#backg

Hm, what am I doing wrong here? I copied your code into the body html and this is what happened-
http://www.kimberlywalton.net/Portfolio.html

The code was for using a background image. It also goes into the head of the page. If you want a diffent color then adjust the code.

I do want to use a background image, that would appear on the right and left sides of the page (but just on some pages and not the main one).

I put that code in the header html and in preview, it made the whole page just the image with nothing else.

That's weird because that's how I did that example page. Make a copy of your page for testing and post a link.

I'm not sure I quite understand how this background image is supposed to appear. On some of the pages, ok, but

1. is it going to cover all the background, also behind the greyish image where you have the paintings?

2. Or, is it supposed to appear ONLY left and right of the same greyish image?

In case 1:
a. is it a small image that is supposed to be repeated to cover the site, either vertically, horizontally or both,
b. or ist it one single image which is supposed to spread out over the whole background, or part of the background outside the greyish image?

In case 2:
a: is it a small image which is going to be repeated vertically?
b: or is it a small but wide strip of an image which is to be repeated vertically,
c: or ist it one longish image which is to appear once down the left side and then also down the right side?
d. is it to appear at a certain distance from the greyish one, or smack on the left and right side of the viewport?

Your answer to this post will decide which method is best for applying what you want. Some of it can be done within VSD, but some of it will need a bit of custom css.