I opened the page in 2005 and 2008 and the only difference is that 2005 is rendering a thin frame around every server control, even invisible one. Rendering frame changes page layout so 2008 designer is not doing it. Instead of using color to hide elements, try using style="visibility:hidden" or style="display:none". Then you'll be able to use View | Visual Aids commands to turn on/off invisible control rendering as needed. Remember, no every browser has background set to write (visually impaired people may have it set to black for higher contrast, ignoring colors you specify) and therefore controls invisible on your screen may be visible on someone's else computer.
You can also use Document Outline or dropdown on top of the Properties window to select invisibile controls.
Thanks
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