TIFF vs PNG
PNG preserves decoded pixels losslessly and can carry alpha. It is useful for transparent graphics and screenshots; it does not preserve editable document layers or camera sensor data, and photographic files can be large.
Image format
TIFF
Tagged raster storage for scanning and image interchange. Compression, sample types and image count depend on the TIFF variant.
Explore the format
Convert TIFF to
Choose a target format for your TIFF images.
JPEGJPEGTIFF → JPEGPNGPNGTIFF → PNGWebPWebPTIFF → WebPAVIFAVIFTIFF → AVIFHEICHEICTIFF → HEICHEIFHEIFTIFF → HEIF
All 21 conversions
GIFGIFTIFF → GIFWith caveatBMPBMPTIFF → BMPICOICOTIFF → ICOJPEG XLJPEG XLTIFF → JPEG XLJPEG 2000JPEG 2000TIFF → JPEG 2000QOIQOITIFF → QOITGATGATIFF → TGAPCXPCXTIFF → PCXPPMPPMTIFF → PPMPGMPGMTIFF → PGMWith caveatPBMPBMTIFF → PBMWith caveatPAMPAMTIFF → PAMHDRHDRTIFF → HDREXREXRTIFF → EXRPDFPDFTIFF → PDF
Marked paths may need steps such as flattening, rasterization, tone mapping or animation loss.
Convert to TIFF
Choose a source format to convert to TIFF.
JPEGJPEGJPEG → TIFFPNGPNGPNG → TIFFWebPWebPWebP → TIFFAVIFAVIFAVIF → TIFFHEICHEICHEIC → TIFFHEIFHEIFHEIF → TIFF
All 36 conversions
GIFGIFGIF → TIFFWith caveatBMPBMPBMP → TIFFSVGSVGSVG → TIFFICOICOICO → TIFFJPEG XLJPEG XLJPEG XL → TIFFJPEG 2000JPEG 2000JPEG 2000 → TIFFQOIQOIQOI → TIFFTGATGATGA → TIFFPCXPCXPCX → TIFFPPMPPMPPM → TIFFPGMPGMPGM → TIFFPBMPBMPBM → TIFFPAMPAMPAM → TIFFHDRHDRHDR → TIFFWith caveatEXREXREXR → TIFFWith caveatPSDPSDPSD → TIFFWith caveatPDFPDFPDF → TIFFWith caveatDNGDNGDNG → TIFFCanon CR2Canon CR2Canon CR2 → TIFFCanon CR3Canon CR3Canon CR3 → TIFFCanon CRWCanon CRWCanon CRW → TIFFNikon NEFNikon NEFNikon NEF → TIFFSony ARWSony ARWSony ARW → TIFFFujifilm RAFFujifilm RAFFujifilm RAF → TIFFOlympus ORFOlympus ORFOlympus ORF → TIFFPanasonic RW2Panasonic RW2Panasonic RW2 → TIFFPentax PEFPentax PEFPentax PEF → TIFFSigma X3FSigma X3FSigma X3F → TIFFKodak RAWKodak RAWKodak RAW → TIFFHasselblad 3FRHasselblad 3FRHasselblad 3FR → TIFF
Marked paths may need steps such as flattening, rasterization, tone mapping or animation loss.
About TIFF
Tagged Image File Format
TIFF is a tagged container for raster images, developed around scanning and desktop publishing. Image file directories describe each image and locate its pixel data. Tags specify dimensions, sample interpretation, compression and other properties, so a TIFF extension does not identify a single pixel encoding.
The specification supports multiple image directories, strips or tiles, several colour models and extra samples that can describe alpha. Uncompressed storage and lossless compression are possible, while JPEG-compressed variants may be lossy. Extended sample types and tags require agreement between writer and reader; multi-image storage is not animation.
Use TIFF for scans, rendered editing masters and workflows that need tagged, high-precision raster interchange. Keep the chosen sample depth and compression explicit. Applications may read only the first image or ignore unfamiliar tags; a flattened export cannot preserve every page, channel or application-specific editing structure.
Key capabilities
TIFF is not intrinsically lossless or uncompressed. Read the Compression, BitsPerSample and SampleFormat tags; decoder support varies across schemes.
History of TIFF
TIFF’s revision history follows raster interchange for publishing, then extensions used by photographic and other imaging workflows.
TIFF compared
Different formats, different trade-offs. Choose for the image and the workflow.
TIFF vs JPEG
JPEG makes a compact photographic delivery file, but ordinary JPEG discards detail and has no alpha. Keep the richer source for editing and use JPEG when the receiving workflow expects an opaque photo.
TIFF vs PSD
PSD preserves Photoshop layers, masks and document resources. Keep it for continued editing; a flattened raster export is easier to distribute but cannot recreate the original layer structure.
TIFF vs EXR
OpenEXR keeps high-dynamic-range channels with half, float or unsigned integer samples. It suits compositing and render passes; channels, deep data and compression choices need a compatible reader and deliberate export settings.
TIFF FAQ
What does this format store?
TIFF is a tagged container for raster images, developed around scanning and desktop publishing. Image file directories describe each image and locate its pixel data. Tags specify dimensions, sample interpretation, compression and other properties, so a TIFF extension does not identify a single pixel encoding.
How does compression affect quality?
TIFF is not intrinsically lossless or uncompressed. Read the Compression, BitsPerSample and SampleFormat tags; decoder support varies across schemes.
Can TIFF hold several pages and alpha?
It can hold multiple image directories and extra alpha samples. These features depend on the file and application; multiple images do not imply timed animation or Photoshop-style editable layers.
What should I check before opening the file?
Check compression scheme, sample type, alpha convention and all image directories. A baseline TIFF reader is not guaranteed to understand every extension or unusually large TIFF variant.
What changes when I export to another format?
Choose which image to export and preserve required resolution and colour information. A single ordinary JPEG drops additional images and alpha and usually reduces precision; lossless targets cannot recover an already lossy TIFF image.
When is this format useful?
Use TIFF for scans, rendered editing masters and workflows that need tagged, high-precision raster interchange. Keep the chosen sample depth and compression explicit. Applications may read only the first image or ignore unfamiliar tags; a flattened export cannot preserve every page, channel or application-specific editing structure.