when not to use CSS sprites?

Question

I want to know when not to use CSS sprites. CSS sprites works great, but are there any occasions when they create a lot of headaches?

Answer 1

They can cause headache for your users if they want to download a particular image. First they won't get the "Save image as" option. If they figure out to use "View background image" they'll get a huge image with lots of other images on there too.

This is why sprites are best saved for "utility" (i.e. buttons) or design images.