Forum:Is there a real benefit from using sprites?

I'm wondering how much do we benefit from using sprites on wikia, as opposed to using separate small images.

Since separate images are more convenient to use, is there a significant improvement in spriting them? -- 15:39, August 14, 2010 (UTC)


 * By sprites, I assume you mean displaying parts of a larger image by using CSS offsets and widths. These are used to reduce load times and reduce fetches on graphical elements that will be used many times on many pages. If you had many little images that each have to be fetched individually, it is faster to load a bigger image and just display parts. Does that make sense? -- Fandyllic  (talk &middot; contr) 9:31 AM PST 14 Aug 2010
 * A "sprite repository" image is also easier if you want to restyle all your sprites: an update or change to a new style means replacing only that file. -- ◄mendel► 16:53, August 14, 2010 (UTC)
 * Sprites only help with loadtimes IF and only IF the majority of it contents is used on that page or pages that almost always load with it that suggestion. For Games it works great, for most wiki uses, the small images that may or may not be used is better. -- 18:57, August 14, 2010 (UTC)
 * Quite a few advantages :) Looks like a cumulative image I'll try to use on a page will have three times lower size than the sum of the separate ones. -- 20:12, August 14, 2010 (UTC)