[bigspooner]

it already appears to have that setting?... or am i getting the wrong end of the stick here?

see below from menu.tpl:

<TABLE border=0 cellPadding=0 cellSpacing=0 width="100%">
<TR> 
<TD class=VertMenuBorder> 
<TABLE border=0 cellPadding=1 cellSpacing=1 width="100%">
<TR> 
<TD class=VertMenuTitle>{$link_begin}[img]{$ImagesDir}/{$dingbats}[/img]{$link_end}
{if $link_href}
<font class=VertMenuTitle>{$menu_title}</font>
{else}
<font class=VertMenuBoxNewsTitle>{$menu_title}</font></TD>
{/if}
</TR>
<TR> 
<TD class=VertMenuBox> 
 <TABLE border=0 cellPadding=5 cellSpacing=0 width="100%">
 <TR> 
 <TD>{$menu_content}</TD></TR>
 </TABLE>
</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
</TD></TR>
</TABLE>