TIFF
Flexible high-quality raster format used for archival, scanning, and print workflows.
Compression tools
Format details
What is TIFF?
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a flexible raster container widely used in archival, scanning, publishing, and print. It can store high bit depth, multiple pages, and various compression schemes, including lossless LZW and ZIP. Files are typically large, and TIFF is not intended for direct web delivery.
Specifications
- Typical file size
- Scans and print masters: 10-100 MB. Multi-page TIFFs: hundreds of MB. Web-sized TIFFs still tend to be several MB.
- Quality
- Excellent quality retention, especially with lossless compression, 16-bit color, and layered scan data. Ideal when preserving detail matters more than size.
- Transparency support
- Yes — Supports alpha channels, though many print workflows ignore them.
- Animation support
- No — No animation; multi-page TIFFs hold multiple stills rather than a timeline.
- Compression type
- Multiple schemes: uncompressed, LZW, ZIP, or JPEG-in-TIFF
- Browser support
- Not supported natively in most browsers.
- Compatibility
- Standard in publishing, scanning, GIS, and imaging software. Not accepted by most web platforms and social apps.
Advantages
- High bit depth and wide color support
- Lossless compression options preserve every pixel
- Multi-page support for scans and documents
- Standard in print, publishing, and archival workflows
Disadvantages
- Very large files unsuitable for the web
- Not decoded by most browsers
- Feature set varies between readers, so some tags may be ignored
- Overkill for casual photography
Common uses
- Scanned documents and multi-page archives
- Print-ready photography and design masters
- Medical, scientific, and GIS imagery
- Museum and library digitization
- High-fidelity photo backups
Common conversions
- Convert TIFF to JPG or PNG in desktop software for web and upload workflows
- Then use Konvert image conversion or compression tools
Compression tips
- Use lossless LZW or ZIP compression instead of uncompressed TIFF where supported
- Flatten unnecessary layers and channels before export
- Downsample resolution to the actual required output size
- For web use, convert TIFF to JPG, WebP, or AVIF instead of shrinking the TIFF itself
- For web delivery, convert TIFF to JPG, WebP, or AVIF rather than trying to shrink the TIFF itself.
Frequently asked questions
Browsers generally do not decode TIFF. Convert to JPG, PNG, WebP, or AVIF for web use and keep TIFF as your archival master.
TIFF is more flexible for print pipelines, supporting CMYK, higher bit depth, and multiple pages. PNG is usually enough for simpler jobs and web hand-off.
Yes. Multi-page TIFF is common for scanned documents and can be exported to PDF when you need broader compatibility.
Konvert does not currently open TIFF uploads. Convert the TIFF to JPG or PNG in desktop imaging software first, then use Konvert if you need another web format or a smaller file.