a.button{
  background: transparent url('../images/buttons/button-left.gif') no-repeat top left;
  display: block;
  float: left;
  font: normal 12px Arial; /* Change 12px as desired */
  line-height: 15px; /* This value + 4px + 4px (top and bottom padding of SPAN) must equal height of button background (default is 23px) */
  height: 23px; /* Height of button background height */
  padding-left: 9px; /* Width of left menu image */
  text-decoration: none;
}

a:link.button, a:visited.button, a:active.button{
  color: #494949; /*button text color*/
}

a.button span{
  background: transparent url('../images/buttons/button-right.gif') no-repeat top right;
  display: block;
  padding: 4px 9px 4px 0; /*Set 9px below to match value of 'padding-left' value above*/
}

a.button:hover{ /* Hover state CSS */
  background: transparent url('../images/buttons/button-left-hover.gif') no-repeat top left;
}

a.button:hover span{ /* Hover state CSS */
  background: transparent url('../images/buttons/button-right-hover.gif') no-repeat top right;
  color: black;
}

.buttonwrapper{ /* Container you can use to surround a CSS button to clear float */
  overflow: hidden; /*See: http://www.quirksmode.org/css/clearing.html */
  width: 100%;
}

a img {
  vertical-align: middle;
}