What TIFF is — and what for

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a professional format for archiving, print and scanning. It usually stores images losslessly, often at high bit depth and full resolution — ideal for keeping an original without any quality loss. The price: TIFF files are huge and deliberately not used for the web. That's why no browser shows them natively. It's not a defect but a division of labor: TIFF archives, JPG/PNG deliver.

Opening TIFF

  • Windows: the Photos app and the image preview open TIFF directly — a double-click usually does it.
  • Mac: Preview shows TIFF natively.
  • Image editors: Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity & co. open TIFF including layers (TIFF can contain multiple layers and pages).
  • In the browser: not directly — convert first.

When to convert — and to what?

Converting is worth it as soon as the image is to be shared, uploaded, or used on the web. Choosing the target format:

  • TIFF → JPG: for photos and color scans that get sent or shown online. Tens of megabytes become a few hundred kilobytes.
  • TIFF → PNG: for line art, text scans, or when lossless and transparency are needed.
  • Keep the TIFF: as the archive original. You only ever convert a copy.

The golden rule: TIFF is the original, JPG/PNG the working copy. Throwing away the lossless TIFF after making a JPG is a mistake — the archive quality never comes back.

Converting — browser-local

Drag the TIFF file into the image converter and choose JPG or PNG as the target. Processing runs in the browser — which matters especially for scans with personal data (contracts, certificates): the file never leaves your device. Afterward the JPG can be shrunk further if needed.

TIFF and print

When a print shop asks for TIFF, there's a reason: lossless, high bit depth, defined resolution. Then TIFF is the target, not the problem — and you deliver it unchanged. For the web, though, TIFF is never the answer — there the rule is: convert.

In short

  • Browser can't show TIFF — by design, not a fault.
  • Open with Windows/Mac preview or an image editor.
  • Convert to JPG/PNG for sharing and the web.
  • Keep the TIFF as the lossless archive master.