Why should I have an image split up?

[jammer20002]

In a lot of websites, they will have their images split up.
Why is this done?
Whenever I put an image in, regardless of its location and size, I always put it in as a whole.

Am I missing something?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.


Jam

[soccer362001]

IMHO it makes a site look more professional if you use more code and break up the graphics.

[jammer20002]

Originally posted by soccer362001
IMHO it makes a site look more professional if you use more code and break up the graphics.
erm... sorry there HAS to be better reasons than that. :)

'more code'?
r u saying that if the webpage is extremely complex in the source of the code, then it 'looks' more professional?

a bit confused now! :confused:

let me know what u think.

[Stephen Philbin]

I find that the prodominant reason for it is that the creator of the page is using tables. Seeing as tables are not meant for layout, they are rightly highly restrictive. So the images have to be chopped up to fit into the table cells.

Either that or it's another image map again. :rolleyes:

In the 3.6 seconds spent pondering it; I can think of no real, logical reason behind chopping up an image.

[soccer362001]

All the layouts I have made in PS I have broken up and I have never used tables for their layout.

[jammer20002]

Originally posted by soccer362001
All the layouts I have made in PS I have broken up and I have never used tables for their layout.
can i see some of ur examples?

[soccer362001]

http://www.rgabbard.com/test.htm

[jammer20002]

kewl.
thanks for that.

[Robert Wellock]

Split-up images can load faster but produce a higher file size though I expect in most cases its just the ignorant using the <table> element to position images rather than considering file size.

[rhsunderground]

also, if you have 10 images and 1 doesn't load, you still have the other 9. if you have one image and it doesn't load, you're screwed.:p

[zingmatter]

I tend to break up images only if it composed of say part photo part flat colour. Saving it all as a jpeg would look crummy and all as a gif would be too big. So photo bit as jpeg, flat bit as gif, space and quality saved. ;)