TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
.tiff .tif · image/tiff · 1986 · Aldus / Adobe
The professional print and scanning format. High quality, very large, not web-viewable. Below is what TIFF is best at, where it falls short, and how it compares — plus free, in-browser tools to convert TIFF to and from other formats, with nothing uploaded.
TIFF has been the professional standard for print, publishing and archival scanning since 1986. It supports 16-bit channels, CMYK, layers, and lossless (or no) compression, which makes files large and browsers uninterested — no mainstream browser displays TIFF. Convert to PNG for lossless web use or JPEG for sharing; keep the TIFF as your archival master.
Compression
Lossless
Transparency
Yes
Animation
No
Browser display
None
Strengths & limitations
Strengths
- Archival quality, 16-bit and CMYK support
- Industry standard in print and scanning
- Flexible: layers, multi-page, profiles
Limitations
- Browsers cannot display it
- Very large files
- Overkill for everyday sharing
Best used for
- Print production
- Archival scans
- Professional photo editing masters
Tools for TIFF
Frequently asked questions
Is TIFF lossy or lossless?+
TIFF is lossless: it preserves every pixel exactly, with no quality loss.
Does TIFF support transparency?+
Yes — TIFF has an alpha channel, so it can store transparent areas. It is a still-image format (no animation).
Can browsers open TIFF files directly?+
No — browsers can't display TIFF in a page. Convert it to JPG or PNG first, which you can do here with nothing uploaded.
How do I open or convert a TIFF file for free?+
Drop your TIFF file into the EditItAll converter and choose an output format — it decodes and re-encodes entirely in your browser, with nothing uploaded, no account and no watermark.