Table of Contents

CSS – Image Sprites

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Image sprites are a technique used in web development to combine multiple images into a single image file. This approach can help reduce the number of server requests and improve website performance.

Image sprites are commonly used for icons, buttons, and other small graphics on a website. CSS is then used to display specific parts of the sprite image as needed.

Here”s a step-by-step guide on how to create and use image sprites in CSS:

Step 1: Create The Sprite Image

Create a single image file that contains all the individual images (icons, buttons, etc.) you want to use on your website. You can use software like Photoshop or a similar tool to arrange these images into a single image file.

Save the sprite image in a suitable format like PNG or JPEG. Make sure the individual images within the sprite are well-organized with consistent spacing between them.

Step 2: Add HTML Markup

In your HTML document, you”ll need to add elements that will display the individual images from the sprite. Typically, you”ll use HTML elements like <div> or <span> for this purpose. Here”s an example:


<html>
<head>
  <!-- CSS styling here -->
</head>
<body>
  <div class="sprite-icon"></div>
</body>
</html>

Step 3: Define CSS Classes

In your CSS file / style tag (inline styling), define classes for each element that uses the sprite image. You”ll set the background-image to your sprite image and specify the background-position to display the desired part of the sprite. Here”s an example:


.sprite-icon {
   width: 32px; /* Set the width of the displayed image */
   height: 32px; /* Set the height of the displayed image */
   background-image: url(''sprites.png''); /* Path to your sprite image */
   background-position: -16px -16px; /* Position of the individual image within the sprite */
   }

In the above example, the background-position property is used to specify which part of the sprite image to display. The values (-16px, -16px) represent the position of the desired image within the sprite. By adjusting these values, you can display different images from the sprite.

Step 4: Use The Sprites In HTML

You can now use the CSS classes you defined in your HTML elements to display the individual images from the sprite:


<div class="sprite-icon"></div>

Repeat this process for each element that needs to display an image from the sprite.