diff --git a/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js b/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
index 0a19954..0de3190 100644
--- a/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
+++ b/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 
         const loadOptions = {
             crossOrigin: resource.crossOrigin,
-            loadType: LoaderResource.LOAD_TYPE.IMAGE,
             metadata: resource.metadata.imageMetadata,
             parentResource: resource,
         };

diff --git a/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js b/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
index 0a19954..0de3190 100644
--- a/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
+++ b/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 
         const loadOptions = {
             crossOrigin: resource.crossOrigin,
-            loadType: LoaderResource.LOAD_TYPE.IMAGE,
             metadata: resource.metadata.imageMetadata,
             parentResource: resource,
         };
diff --git a/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js b/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js
index 65d1738..47f06fc 100644
--- a/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js
+++ b/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js
@@ -77,6 +77,31 @@
             .that.is.an.instanceof(Texture);
     });
 
+    it('should not load binary images as an image loader type', function (done)
+    {
+        const loader = new Loader();
+
+        // provide a mock pre-loader that creates an empty base texture for compressed texture assets
+        // this is necessary because the spritesheetParser expects a baseTexture on the resource
+        loader.pre((resource, next) =>
+        {
+            if (resource.extension === 'crn')
+            {
+                resource.texture = Texture.EMPTY;
+            }
+            next();
+        })
+        .add(`atlas_crn`, `file://${__dirname}/resources/atlas_crn.json`)
+        .add(`atlas`, `file://${__dirname}/resources/building1.json`)
+        .load((loader, resources) =>
+        {
+            expect(resources.atlas_image.data).to.be.instanceof(HTMLImageElement);
+            expect(resources.atlas_crn_image.data).to.not.be.instanceof(HTMLImageElement);
+            loader.reset();
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
     it('should build the image url', function ()
     {
         function getPath(url, image)

diff --git a/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js b/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
index 0a19954..0de3190 100644
--- a/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
+++ b/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 
         const loadOptions = {
             crossOrigin: resource.crossOrigin,
-            loadType: LoaderResource.LOAD_TYPE.IMAGE,
             metadata: resource.metadata.imageMetadata,
             parentResource: resource,
         };
diff --git a/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js b/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js
index 65d1738..47f06fc 100644
--- a/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js
+++ b/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js
@@ -77,6 +77,31 @@
             .that.is.an.instanceof(Texture);
     });
 
+    it('should not load binary images as an image loader type', function (done)
+    {
+        const loader = new Loader();
+
+        // provide a mock pre-loader that creates an empty base texture for compressed texture assets
+        // this is necessary because the spritesheetParser expects a baseTexture on the resource
+        loader.pre((resource, next) =>
+        {
+            if (resource.extension === 'crn')
+            {
+                resource.texture = Texture.EMPTY;
+            }
+            next();
+        })
+        .add(`atlas_crn`, `file://${__dirname}/resources/atlas_crn.json`)
+        .add(`atlas`, `file://${__dirname}/resources/building1.json`)
+        .load((loader, resources) =>
+        {
+            expect(resources.atlas_image.data).to.be.instanceof(HTMLImageElement);
+            expect(resources.atlas_crn_image.data).to.not.be.instanceof(HTMLImageElement);
+            loader.reset();
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
     it('should build the image url', function ()
     {
         function getPath(url, image)
diff --git a/packages/spritesheet/test/resources/atlas.crn b/packages/spritesheet/test/resources/atlas.crn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d5e7892
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/spritesheet/test/resources/atlas.crn
Binary files differ

diff --git a/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js b/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
index 0a19954..0de3190 100644
--- a/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
+++ b/packages/spritesheet/src/SpritesheetLoader.js
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 
         const loadOptions = {
             crossOrigin: resource.crossOrigin,
-            loadType: LoaderResource.LOAD_TYPE.IMAGE,
             metadata: resource.metadata.imageMetadata,
             parentResource: resource,
         };
diff --git a/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js b/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js
index 65d1738..47f06fc 100644
--- a/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js
+++ b/packages/spritesheet/test/SpritesheetLoader.js
@@ -77,6 +77,31 @@
             .that.is.an.instanceof(Texture);
     });
 
+    it('should not load binary images as an image loader type', function (done)
+    {
+        const loader = new Loader();
+
+        // provide a mock pre-loader that creates an empty base texture for compressed texture assets
+        // this is necessary because the spritesheetParser expects a baseTexture on the resource
+        loader.pre((resource, next) =>
+        {
+            if (resource.extension === 'crn')
+            {
+                resource.texture = Texture.EMPTY;
+            }
+            next();
+        })
+        .add(`atlas_crn`, `file://${__dirname}/resources/atlas_crn.json`)
+        .add(`atlas`, `file://${__dirname}/resources/building1.json`)
+        .load((loader, resources) =>
+        {
+            expect(resources.atlas_image.data).to.be.instanceof(HTMLImageElement);
+            expect(resources.atlas_crn_image.data).to.not.be.instanceof(HTMLImageElement);
+            loader.reset();
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
     it('should build the image url', function ()
     {
         function getPath(url, image)
diff --git a/packages/spritesheet/test/resources/atlas.crn b/packages/spritesheet/test/resources/atlas.crn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d5e7892
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/spritesheet/test/resources/atlas.crn
Binary files differ
diff --git a/packages/spritesheet/test/resources/atlas_crn.json b/packages/spritesheet/test/resources/atlas_crn.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6327c0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/spritesheet/test/resources/atlas_crn.json
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+{
+	"meta": {
+		"image": "atlas.crn",
+		"size": {"w":256,"h":256},
+		"scale": "1"
+	},
+	"frames": {
+		"resources/test.png":
+		{
+			"frame": {"x":2,"y":2,"w":152,"h":188},
+			"rotated": false,
+			"trimmed": true,
+			"spriteSourceSize": {"x":74,"y":36,"w":152,"h":188},
+			"sourceSize": {"w":300,"h":225}
+		},
+		"resources/font.png":
+		{
+			"frame": {"x":158,"y":2,"w":40,"h":42},
+			"rotated": false,
+			"trimmed": true,
+			"spriteSourceSize": {"x":2,"y":2,"w":40,"h":42},
+			"sourceSize": {"w":43,"h":46}
+		}
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file