What is CSS Image Spriting?
CSS image spriting (CSS sprites) can effectively reduce the number of HTTP connection requests for image files. Multiple images are combined into a single large image file with a certain amount of spacing between them. Elements on the page that use these images will utilize the CSS property `background-position` to display the specified portion of the combined image.
This technique can significantly improve website performance, especially when there are many small images on a webpage, such as menu bar icons. The Yahoo! homepage is an example of a site that uses this technique.