Hi KM,
Not dead but "retired".
Read the home page of the web site: http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/
Make an image of your background texture.
Add it to the queue at a size that fill the page. You could add it to the queue multiple times several pages or have different backgrounds for different pages.
Change to freehand mode, set the image size and drag an image to each page as required.
Use the Full Page Editor to fine tune the image position and "bring to front" as required.
Terry

Mike will have to answer that but the method I described does allow you to do it and gives the option for multiple  textured backgrounds as well as plain colours.
Terry