TIFF is a flexible, lossless format prized in photography, scanning and professional printing for its top image quality.
Developed in the 1980s for desktop publishing, TIFF can store high bit-depths and layers, which makes files large.
Use TIFF for archiving and print masters; to share online, convert it to JPG, PNG or WebP.
Advantages
- ✓No quality loss — every pixel is preserved exactly.
- ✓Preserves high image quality, ideal for editing and print.
Drawbacks
- ✕Produces very large files.
- ✕Limited support outside specific apps or platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TIFF lossy or lossless?
TIFF is lossless, so it preserves image quality exactly without throwing any data away.
Does TIFF support transparency?
Yes, TIFF supports transparency, so transparent backgrounds are preserved.
How do I open or convert a TIFF file?
Most image viewers can open TIFF files, but for full compatibility you can convert TIFF to JPG or PNG right here — free, instant and private in your browser.