CSS Sprites to improve site performance.

The concept has been around a while but it's very useful, I've started to use it myself as well

I haven't heard of this before...very interesting.
Thanks!

I hadn't either. Very interesting though

If you've got half and hour to kill and interested in front end optimisation should take a look at this vid http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1040890.

Quite interesting to the web geeks out there.

The use of Sprites came out some time ago, I remember the first time I saw it was on A List Apart in 2004

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/sprites

I am going to have to try this out

Very interesting post but considering most browsers cache images I'm not sure how performance enhancing using a strip graphic or decal (as I've known them to be called) will have on a site.

Originally Posted by SmartBomb

Very interesting post but considering most browsers cache images I'm not sure how performance enhancing using a strip graphic or decal (as I've known them to be called) will have on a site.

With an empty cache ie first visit then it is the overhead generated by multiple Http requests that adds to the response time.If your home page uses 30 icons then this would mean 30 requests but this can be reduced to a single Http request with a sprite/master image.

As you say a return view will usually be able to use the cache but some sites dont maximise use of the users cache. If you use a far future expires header http://www.askapache.com/htaccess/ap...d-expires.html then a return visitor will be able to maximise use of their cache and the page will load quicker.

Interesting article, not used anything like this before, will give it a try.