CSS Image Sprites

Sprites are two-dimensional images that consist of smaller images combined into a larger image at specific X and Y coordinates.

To display a specific image from the combined sprite, we can utilize the CSS background-position property and define the position of the image based on our requirements.

Advantages of Using CSS Image Sprites:

Using image sprites offers several advantages within web applications, including:

1. Reduced Loading Time: By combining multiple images into a single sprite, we can minimize the number of HTTP requests made by the browser. This significantly improves the loading time of web pages and overall site performance.

2. Smooth Hover Effects: Since all the images are contained within a single image sprite, the hover image can be displayed immediately on mouse hover. This results in smooth and instantaneous hover effects.

Advantage of Using CSS Image Sprite

Combining multiple images is always a best approach to follow within web applications. Below are some advantages of using image sprites:-

• When we have many images involved in a site, it will take a long time to load and generates multiple server requests.
• Using sprites will reduce the number of HTTP requests a browser makes to the server, which can be very effective for improving the loading time of web pages and overall site performance.
• Since all images are combined in a single image the hover image is displayed immediately on mouse hover that results in smooth hover effect.

Create the Image Sprite

To create an image sprite, we can utilize any image editing tool. For simplicity, we can use multiple images of the same size and combine them into a single large sprite image.

By leveraging CSS image sprites, we can optimize web page loading, enhance user experience, and create visually appealing hover effects with efficiency.

Input:-

Output:-

Generally, these image sprites are used in making games as they make the game lightweight. The below illustration represents the same.