What are the potential issues with using echo statements before generating and outputting an image in PHP?

Using echo statements before generating and outputting an image in PHP can cause issues because once any content is sent to the browser, you cannot modify headers or output image data. To solve this issue, you should refrain from using echo statements before generating and outputting an image in PHP.

<?php
// Generate and output image without using echo statements before
header('Content-Type: image/png');
$image = imagecreate(200, 200);
imagecolorallocate($image, 255, 0, 0);
imagepng($image);
imagedestroy($image);
?>