TIFF file format: what it is and how to use it

TIFF is the professional image container: a tag-based structure holding everything from lossless photos to multi-page scans and 32-bit float data. Learn when to use it and what to choose instead.

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What is a TIFF file?

A .tiff file is an image in the Tagged Image File Format, the 1986 Aldus/Adobe spec built on tagged directories: a container flexible enough to hold any bit depth, any color space, any compression (none, LZW, ZIP, JPEG…), multiple pages and professional metadata in one file. It is the format of print production, scanners, fax machines, GIS rasters and scientific imaging, a chameleon that carries whatever you put in it.

When should you use TIFF?

  • Print and prepress: CMYK, high bit depth, lossless, the industry's default.
  • Multi-page documents: scans and faxes as one file.
  • Scientific and float data: 32-bit images, GeoTIFF georeferencing.
  • Archival masters: lossless storage that outlives software.

When is another format a better fit?

For anything on the web or shared, PNG and JPG are universally readable and far lighter; for multi-layer working files PSD/XCF carry more editing state; for modern photography delivery, AVIF/WebP. TIFF is a professional's container, overkill for a browser.

The short version: TIFF is the professional image container for masters, scans and science. Convert to PNG or JPG when it meets the web.

How to open a TIFF file

On Windows

Double-click the file, or open it with IrfanView.

On macOS

Adobe Photoshop opens TIFF files on macOS.

In your browser

Open TIFF files right in a browser tab or with the dexrr viewer. No install, no upload.

Also opens in

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • GIMP
  • XnView
  • IrfanView
  • Windows Photos

View or convert TIFF files

A quick preview or a new format. No install, no upload.

View TIFF files Preview and inspect TIFF files Convert to TIFF Turn files into TIFF TIFF to PNG Portable Network Graphics TIFF to PSD Photoshop Document TIFF to JPG JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

TIFF technical details

Full name
Tagged Image File Format
Extensions
.tiff .tif
MIME type
image/tiff
Magic bytes
49 49 2A 00 / 4D 4D 00 2A (II*/MM*)
Compression
Lossless or lossy
Developer
Aldus / Adobe
Specification
www.adobe.io

TIFF questions, answered

How do I open a .tiff file?

Every OS and image tool opens it: Preview, Photos, Photoshop, GIMP. Multi-page and float variants may need real editors. dexrr displays and converts tiff files in your browser.

Can I convert TIFF files online?

Yes, dexrr converts tiff locally in your browser: TIFF to PNG for lossless use, TIFF to JPG for sharing or TIFF to PDF for document scans.

Is TIFF better than PNG?

For professional work, yes: any bit depth, pages, CMYK, flexible compression. For the web, PNG is smaller and universally readable. Different audiences.

Why is my TIFF file so large?

It often stores uncompressed or lightly compressed pixels at high bit depth. That is the point: fidelity over size. Convert to PNG or JPG for distribution.

Is the TIFF format outdated?

Stable, not outdated, still the standard for print, scanning, GIS and scientific imaging after nearly 40 years.