About TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
TIFF dates back to 1986, created by Aldus (later absorbed into Adobe) as a common format for desktop scanners. Forty years on, it remains the standard wherever image fidelity is non-negotiable: print production, publishing, medical imaging, museum archives, and government records.
The format is a flexible tagged container rather than a single fixed layout. It stores images without lossy compression, handles up to 16 bits per channel, and is understood by essentially every professional imaging tool. That flexibility cuts both ways — TIFF files are large, and the many variants mean an unusual TIFF occasionally confuses less capable software.
Pick TIFF for masters and archives, not for sharing. Browsers do not display TIFF, and the files are too heavy for email or the web — which is why converting TIFF to JPG or PNG is such a common task. Convertmaxxing handles both directions entirely in your browser, free, with no upload and no signup.
Strengths
- Lossless storage — the reference format for archives and print production
- Supports 16 bits per channel, giving real headroom for editing and scanning
- Understood by virtually every professional imaging and publishing tool
- A stable, documented standard trusted for long-term preservation
Limitations
- Very large files compared to any modern compressed format
- Browsers cannot display TIFF, so it is unusable on the web without conversion
- Many format variants — unusual TIFFs can trip up simpler software