TIFF file format (.tiff)
Lossless print and scanning format.
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What is a TIFF file?
In short: A TIFF file (.tiff) is an image file in the TIFF format. TIFF is less a single format than a container that can hold almost anything: uncompressed pixels, lossless compression, several pages in one file, sixteen bits per channel, and colour profiles for print. It can be converted to JPG, PNG or WEBP for free in a web browser with iHateFiles, without uploading it.
Created in 1986 by Aldus, the company behind PageMaker, so scanners and desktop publishing could agree on a format.
TIFF is less a single format than a container that can hold almost anything: uncompressed pixels, lossless compression, several pages in one file, sixteen bits per channel, and colour profiles for print. That flexibility is why it survives in scanning, publishing and archival work.
What TIFF is good at
- Lossless, with real support for high bit depths
- Multiple pages or layers in a single file
- Carries print colour profiles properly
Where TIFF falls short
- Large files
- Browsers do not display it
- The flexibility means two TIFFs can be quite different inside
When to use TIFF
Use TIFF for scanning, archiving and anything going to print, where the file will be edited again later.
How to open a TIFF file
Professional image software, scanners and previewers on both Windows and macOS. Not browsers.
| Windows | Photos opens most TIFFs. Multi-page and CMYK files often need IrfanView or Photoshop. |
|---|---|
| macOS | Preview opens TIFF natively, including multi-page. |
| Linux | GIMP, Eye of GNOME and ImageMagick. |
| Phone | Usually needs a third-party viewer on both platforms. |
| In a browser | No browser displays TIFF. |
The thing that usually goes wrong
Because TIFF can contain many different compressions, a file that one program writes is occasionally one another program cannot read. Converting it to PNG settles the argument.
Questions
What is a TIFF file?
Lossless print and scanning format. Files use the .tiff extension.
How do I open a TIFF file?
Most image software opens TIFF directly. If yours does not, convert it here to something more common. It takes a few seconds and nothing is uploaded.
Can I convert TIFF for free?
Yes. Every conversion here is free and unlimited, because your own device does the work rather than a server we have to pay for.
Is TIFF lossless?
Yes. TIFF stores every pixel exactly, at the cost of a larger file.