Another one with DDS issues

[ObsidianBlk]

I've been looking around the forums here and I havn't seen a post to solve this issue I'm having, so, if there is one, please forgive me.

Every custom image I've created and attempted to load into EQ2 gets garbled. It shows up exactly as I want it in the UIBuilder program, and, obviously, fine in my image editor, but it's beyond recognizable when attempting to view via EQ2 itself.

I have tried TGA and DDS (DXT3, DXT5, U8888).
Please note, I'm a poor little man who does not have the money for his own copy of photoshop. I only, really, have the GIMP for image editing. I can access PS, but from another source that's hard to get to.

That said, I have attempted saving DDS via the nvidia standalone converter (command line program) using DXT3, DXT5, and U8888. I have used PS to save under DXT3 and DXT5.

The images I'm using are all powers of 2x2

The best result I have been able to achive to date is a nice looking image, but it's half way down where it's suppose to be and half the image is cut off. According to all of the XMLs, and the UI builder, the alignment of these images is fine. This result was with a TGA attempt.

What am I doing wrong? I know that somewhere I must be missing something discustingly fundamental... but what?

Can someone PLEASE help me?

Thanks,
--ObsidianBlk

P.S.
Also, is there a method to reload the guis in EQ2 w/o having to log in and out of the game? Oviously, as my above problem states, the UIBuilder does not give me an accurate depiction of what my resultant gui will look like in game.

Thanks again.