Someone sends you a .tiff (or .tif) file, you double-click it, and your browser shrugs. TIFF is common in professional workflows but awkward for everyday use. Here is what it is and how to open it.
We measured this ourselves. The defining property of a baseline TIFF is visible in our own test files: a photograph, a UI screenshot and a flat six-colour illustration are all exactly 2.75 MB. Content makes no difference at all, because the format stores every pixel raw. Convert them and the content suddenly matters enormously — as JPG they become 288.4 KB, 43.5 KB and 24.1 KB; as PNG, 2.25 MB, 22.9 KB and 40.6 KB. Note the split: for a scanned photograph JPG saves 90% while PNG saves only 18%, but for scanned text or line art PNG is both smaller and lossless. One caveat on our converter — a TIFF can hold many images, a PNG holds one, so it converts the first page only. See all our measurements
What TIFF is
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a high-quality, usually lossless image format built for scanning, printing and professional photography. It preserves maximum detail — and can even hold multiple pages — but the files are large, and most web browsers and chat apps cannot display it at all.
Why convert it
If you just need to view, share or upload a TIFF, converting to a common format solves the compatibility problem:
- JPG — much smaller, opens everywhere. Best for photos and sharing.
- PNG — lossless, keeps sharp edges and transparency. Best for scanned documents, diagrams or when quality matters.
That fixed cost is the whole reason to convert. 2.75 MB per image is fine for an archive on a drive you control and impossible for anything that travels: at 288.4 KB the JPG is a fraction of the size for a photo nobody will re-edit, and the PNG at 2.25 MB is the right choice only when the original was line art or contained text you may need to re-crop losslessly.
Convert TIFF without uploading
Scans and photo masters are often sensitive or valuable. This tool decodes the TIFF on your device — nothing is uploaded:
- TIFF to JPG — smallest and most compatible.
- TIFF to PNG — lossless.
Multi-page TIFFs convert the first page. For a deeper look at how formats compare, see Image formats explained.
TIFF vs the alternatives
Keep the TIFF as your archive master if you do professional print work; convert a copy to JPG or PNG for everything else. You lose nothing by keeping both.
TIFF vs PNG vs JPG at a glance
| TIFF | PNG | JPG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | none or lossless (usually) | lossless | lossy |
| Transparency | yes | yes | no |
| Multiple pages | yes | no | no |
| Typical file size | large | medium | small |
| Opens in a browser | no | yes | yes |
| Best for | scanning, print, archiving | diagrams, screenshots, line art | photos, web sharing |
The column that surprises people is compression. “TIFF” is really a container: the same .tif wrapper can hold uncompressed data, lossless LZW or ZIP data, or even lossy JPEG data. Most scanners and print workflows use uncompressed or LZW, which is where TIFF’s lossless reputation comes from — but a TIFF is not automatically lossless. (For how the everyday formats trade off, see PNG vs JPG.)
TIFF’s size is not a rumour, it is the first thing you notice. Our test photo as an uncompressed TIFF is 2.75 MB; here is what leaving it costs:
| Conversion | TIFF in | Result | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIFF → JPG | 2.75 MB | 288.4 KB | -90% |
| TIFF → PNG | 2.75 MB | 2.25 MB | -18% |
| TIFF → JPG | 2.75 MB | 43.5 KB | -98% |
| TIFF → PNG | 2.75 MB | 22.9 KB | -99% |
JPG came out 288.4 KB (-90%) and PNG 2.25 MB (-18%). Note the second pair: our TIFF corpus files are all the same size regardless of content, because uncompressed TIFF stores width × height × channels and nothing else. That property is exactly why scanners and print shops still use it — the file size is predictable before you scan — and exactly why you should not keep it once the file leaves that workflow.
How to open a TIFF right now
- Windows — right-click the file and choose Open with → Photos (or Paint). Both ship with Windows and read TIFF.
- macOS — double-click to open in Preview, then File → Export to save a JPG or PNG copy.
- Anywhere — convert it to JPG or PNG with the tools above; every browser and phone can then display the result.
FAQ
Is .tif different from .tiff?
No — same format. .tif is just the old three-letter spelling left over from DOS filename limits; use either.
Is TIFF always lossless?
Usually, but not guaranteed. Uncompressed, LZW and ZIP TIFFs are lossless; a JPEG-compressed TIFF is lossy. If you need a guarantee, keep the master uncompressed.
Why is my TIFF file so large?
High bit depth (up to 16 bits per colour channel), little or no compression, and multiple pages all add up. A JPG or PNG copy is often a fraction of the size — ideal for emailing or uploading while you keep the TIFF as the master.