Glossary

What Is a TIFF File?

A TIFF file is a high-quality raster image saved in the Tagged Image File Format. It stores pixels without losing detail, can hold several pages in one file, and supports professional color, which makes it a standard in printing, scanning, and archiving. The trade-off is large file sizes that are awkward to email or post online.

TL;DR

TIFF is a lossless, print-grade image format. Convert it to JPG or PNG when you need a smaller file to share or post.

What Makes TIFF Different

A few traits set TIFF apart from everyday formats like JPG:
  • Lossless: it can compress with LZW or save uncompressed, so no detail is thrown away.
  • Multi-page: one TIFF can hold many images, which is why scanners and fax tools use it.
  • Professional color: it supports CMYK and high bit depth for print, not just screen RGB.

A TIFF with the .tif extension is the same format as one ending in .tiff. Both names have been interchangeable since the format was designed, so a program that opens one opens the other.

Where TIFF Is Used

Because nothing is discarded, TIFF is the format of record where quality must survive. Print shops accept TIFF for artwork, document scanners save pages as multi-page TIFF, and museums and libraries archive masters as TIFF so the original never degrades through re-compression.

That quality has a cost. A single high-resolution TIFF can run into tens of megabytes, far too heavy for a website or an email. For sharing, a smaller JPG or PNG is the practical choice.

How to Convert a TIFF File

When you need a TIFF in a lighter, more compatible form, a batch converter turns a whole folder of TIFF images into JPG or PNG in one pass while keeping the picture quality.

What you'll need
  • TIFF to JPG Converter: converts folders of TIFF images to JPG or PNG on Windows
  • A Windows PC, version 10 or 11
  • The TIFF files you want to convert

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