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TIFF

The TIFF image format

TIFF is the workhorse format of scanning, printing and archiving. It is flexible and can be lossless, but files are large and browsers generally cannot display them.

ConvertTIFF → JPGTIFF → PNG

What it is

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) was created by Aldus Corporation in the mid-1980s. The specification is now held by Adobe, which acquired Aldus. The extensions .tif and .tiff refer to the same format.

As the name suggests, a TIFF file is organized with tags: labeled fields that describe the image, its dimensions, color model, compression and much more. This makes the format extremely flexible. A TIFF can be uncompressed, use lossless compression such as LZW or ZIP, or even contain JPEG-compressed data. It can store high bit depths, CMYK color for printing, and several pages in one file.

Strengths

  • Lossless options. Ideal for keeping scans and master images without quality loss.
  • High bit depth and print colors. Suitable for professional editing and CMYK print workflows.
  • Multiple pages. One file can hold a whole scanned document.
  • Long-term archiving. Widely used by archives, libraries and print shops.

Weaknesses

  • Large files. Uncompressed or lossless TIFFs of photos and scans take a lot of space.
  • Browsers cannot display them in most cases. You cannot simply put a TIFF on a website or attach it to most upload forms.
  • Too flexible for some programs. Because there are so many variants, a TIFF that opens in one program may fail in another.

When to use it

Use TIFF when a scanner, print shop, publisher or archive asks for it, or as a lossless master copy of important scans. For sharing, email, websites and forms, convert it to JPG (for photos and color scans) or PNG (for documents and graphics where every pixel matters).

How to convert TIFF

The TIFF to JPG converter converts TIFF files to JPG (default) or PNG in your browser:

  1. Add one or more TIFF files. A TIFF decoder (UTIF.js) is downloaded into your browser on first use; your files are not uploaded.
  2. Choose JPG or PNG. For JPG, set the quality.
  3. Optionally limit the maximum width to make large scans lighter.
  4. Download the results one by one or as a ZIP.

Multi-page TIFF files are split automatically: every page becomes its own image, numbered like name-1.jpg, name-2.jpg and so on. Very unusual TIFF compressions, such as some JPEG-in-TIFF variants, may fail; the tool reports it when that happens.

If you need the pages back in a single document, convert them to JPG first and then combine them with the image to PDF tool.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between .tif and .tiff?

None. Both extensions mean the same format. The shorter one comes from older systems that limited extensions to three letters.

Why can't I open a TIFF in my browser?

Most browsers do not display TIFF files. Convert the file to JPG or PNG to view it in a browser or upload it to a website.

Should I convert scans to JPG or PNG?

JPG is best for photos and color scans where small files matter. PNG is better for text documents and line drawings, because it keeps edges sharp without any compression artifacts.