TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a high-quality raster image format used primarily in professional photography, print design, and archiving. Created in 1986, TIFF was designed to be a flexible container that different scanners and imaging software could use as a common format. Today it remains the standard for workflows that require the highest possible image fidelity.

How TIFF Compression Works

TIFF supports multiple compression modes, making it unusually flexible:

No compression (uncompressed): stores raw pixel data. Maximum quality, maximum file size. A 24 MP camera photo can be 70+ MB uncompressed
LZW compression: lossless compression using the same algorithm as GIF and ZIP. Reduces file size 30–60% with zero quality loss
ZIP/Deflate compression: another lossless option, often 5–10% more efficient than LZW for photographic content
JPEG compression: TIFF can embed JPEG compression inside, creating a compressed TIFF. Rarely used — at that point you might as well use JPG

Most professional TIFF files use LZW or uncompressed. The lossless options preserve every pixel exactly — unlike JPEG where compression artifacts accumulate with each save.

TIFF Key Features

Lossless by default: no compression artifacts, no generation loss from repeated saves. Critical for archiving and multi-step editing workflows
High bit depth: supports 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit per channel. 16-bit TIFF preserves 65,536 tonal values per channel vs 256 for 8-bit JPEG — essential for HDR photography and high-end retouching
Multiple color spaces: RGB, CMYK, LAB, Grayscale. CMYK support is the main reason print designers use TIFF over PNG
Layers and metadata: Photoshop saves layers, paths, and annotations inside TIFF files (though other software may not read them)
Transparency: supports alpha channels, like PNG
No quality limit on saves: save 1,000 times and the 1,000th save is identical to the original

TIFF File Sizes

TIFF files are large. Very large:

A 12 MP photo: JPEG at 85% quality = ~3 MB; TIFF (LZW) = ~20–35 MB
A 45 MP medium format photo: TIFF (16-bit LZW) = ~150–250 MB
A scanned magazine page at 600 DPI (A4 size): TIFF = ~50–100 MB

This is the main reason TIFF is impractical for web use and most everyday sharing.

When Professionals Use TIFF

Commercial printing: CMYK TIFF is the standard format for sending files to print shops. Magazines, books, and packaging use TIFF or PDF workflows
Photography archiving: photographers export from RAW to 16-bit TIFF as the "digital negative" — the highest quality intermediate before converting for specific uses
Scanning: document and artwork scanners output TIFF as the lossless capture format. Scanning in TIFF preserves all the detail from the original
Multi-step Photoshop retouching: when doing heavy retouching across many sessions, TIFF preserves quality between saves better than repeated JPEG exports
Medical and scientific imaging: TIFF's high bit depth makes it suitable for X-rays, microscopy, and other precision imaging

TIFF vs PNG vs JPEG

TIFF vs JPEG: TIFF is lossless and larger; JPEG is lossy and smaller. Use TIFF for archiving or intermediate editing; JPEG for final web and email output
TIFF vs PNG: both are lossless. TIFF wins for print (CMYK support, 16-bit), PNG wins for web (smaller files, universal browser support). For photos needing transparency, use PNG or WebP for web, TIFF for print
TIFF vs RAW: camera RAW files contain unprocessed sensor data. TIFF is the processed, edited version exported from RAW — it has already been demosaiced, white-balanced, and tone-mapped

When to Convert TIFF to Other Formats

For web: convert TIFF to WebP (best compression + transparency) or JPEG (for photos without transparency). TIFF files are too large for web serving
For email: convert to JPEG. A 50 MB TIFF attachment will be rejected or undeliverable
For social media: convert to JPEG at 85–90% quality. Platforms re-compress images anyway — TIFF input doesn't help

Convert TIFF files for web with the TIFF to WebP converter. After conversion, use the image compressor if further size reduction is needed, or the image resizer to adjust dimensions.