> I remember meticulously using the photoshop slice tool

I made so many newsletters using that tool back in 2009. I remember a new designer was appalled I used it, and did not write the HTML code manually... 70% of our receivers were using Outlook and the horrible Word-based HTML renderer. I'm not writing anything manual for that piece of crap.

I remember meticulously perfecting every trick that the slice tool eventually automated before it existed using Jasc Paintshop Pro: squeezing every kb for maximal presentation from pieces of a larger image into gifs or jpgs so that the parts of it which needed to animate or be interactive could do so and the large parts that didn't could remain as high quality as possible.

And then I remember the slice tool appearing one day and being equal parts annoyed that they were biting my style and amazed that they did as thorough and well considered of a job as they did.

That is what Fireworks was great for: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Fireworks