TIFF file format
Tagged Image File Format (.tiff): scans, printing, publishing and archiving at maximum quality.
TIFF is the workhorse of scanning, printing and professional photography. It can hold uncompressed or losslessly compressed pixels at high bit depths, several pages in one file and lots of metadata. That flexibility makes files big, and browsers (except Safari) cannot display TIFF at all.
| Full name | Tagged Image File Format |
|---|---|
| File extension | .tiff, .tif |
| MIME type | image/tiff |
| Created | 1986 by Aldus (now owned by Adobe) |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | Yes |
| Animation | No |
| Colors | Up to 16 or 32 bits per channel, multiple pages |
| Opens on | Photoshop, scanners, print and publishing software; only Safari displays it in a browser |
| Best for | scans, printing, publishing and archiving at maximum quality |
Advantages
- Lossless and print-ready
- High bit depth and multiple pages
- Industry standard for scanners and printers
Drawbacks
- Very large files
- Cannot be shown on most websites
Convert TIFF to…
Convert to TIFF
Frequently asked questions
What is a .tiff file?
TIFF is the workhorse of scanning, printing and professional photography. It can hold uncompressed or losslessly compressed pixels at high bit depths, several pages in one file and lots of metadata. That flexibility makes files big, and browsers (except Safari) cannot display TIFF at all.
How do I open a TIFF file?
Windows Photos, macOS Preview, Photoshop and GIMP open TIFF files. Browsers other than Safari cannot show them — convert to JPG or PNG to put a TIFF on the web.
Is TIFF lossless?
TIFF supports both lossy and lossless compression.
How do I convert TIFF?
Use one of the converters below — they run in your browser, so your images are never uploaded. Most popular: TIFF to JPG, TIFF to PNG, TIFF to WebP.