What happens when you convert PS to TIFF
- The PS is run by Ghostscript, the standard open-source PostScript interpreter, and each page is drawn by MuPDF at 150 dpi, so an A4 page becomes about 1240 by 1750 pixels, then saved as a TIFF file by ImageMagick, on our conversion server.
- A one-page PS gives a single TIFF; a longer one comes back as a ZIP file with one TIFF per page, named page-01.tiff, page-02.tiff and so on, for up to 100 pages.
- The TIFF is compressed losslessly with ZIP compression, which every TIFF reader opens.
- PostScript is a programming language, so Ghostscript runs it in its safe mode, where the file cannot read or write anything else on the server.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert PS to TIFF online
- Press "Choose PS files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to TIFF". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each TIFF with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your PS and the TIFF by then.
Why convert PS to TIFF?
PS files usually come from print jobs, printer drivers and output from Unix, LaTeX and scientific programs. People convert them to TIFF because TIFF is the format printers, scanners and archives trust for lossless images.
In short, PS is good at what it was made for, and TIFF is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. PS does not open in browsers; Ghostscript, Okular and Evince open it, and so did macOS Preview before Ventura, while Safari shows TIFF; Chrome, Edge and Firefox download it instead of displaying it.
How to convert PS to TIFF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your PS files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each TIFF is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the PS files from Finder onto the drop zone and the TIFF files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose PS files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted TIFF appears in Files, in the Downloads folder; to put it in your photo library, open it there, tap Share and choose Save Image.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose PS files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The TIFF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for PS to TIFF
There are no settings: every page is rendered at 150 dpi, up to the first 100 pages, with the longest side capped at 6,000 pixels.
For a result that stays sharp at any size, convert to PDF instead, which keeps the vectors.
PS vs TIFF: the differences
| PS | TIFF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | PostScript | Tagged Image File Format |
| Type | document | image |
| Created by | Adobe | Aldus Corporation |
| First released | 1984 | 1986 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes |
| Animation | No | No |
| Vector or raster | Vector | Raster |
| Colour | any colour, pages of text, vector shapes and images | up to 32 bits per channel, including CMYK |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; Ghostscript, Okular and Evince open it, and so did macOS Preview before Ventura | Safari shows it; Chrome, Edge and Firefox download it instead of displaying it |
| Common uses | print jobs, printer drivers and output from Unix, LaTeX and scientific programs | print production, scanning, archiving and medical imaging |
| MIME type | application/postscript | image/tiff |
About PS and TIFF files
What is a PS file?
PostScript is a programming language for describing pages, made by Adobe for laser printers. A .ps file is a program that a printer or Ghostscript runs to draw each page, which is why converting it to PDF is the usual way to view or share it.
What is a TIFF file?
TIFF is the format printers and archives trust because it can store uncompressed or losslessly compressed pixels, CMYK colour and several pages in one file. It is also why a single scan can run to 100 MB.
PS to TIFF not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- The PS will not convert. It may be damaged, or try to do something the converter blocks for safety, such as reading other files.
Convert PS to TIFF from the command line
This page uses Ghostscript, which is free for Windows, Mac and Linux. The same conversion from the command line:
gs -dSAFER -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=tiff24nc -sCompression=lzw -r150 -sOutputFile=page-%02d.tiff input.psConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
PS to TIFF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting PS to TIFF?
The pages are rendered to pixels at 150 dpi, which is sharp for reading and for printing text. The pixels are stored losslessly.
Why is the TIFF a different size from the PS?
The TIFF stores every pixel, while the PS stores drawing instructions, so the TIFF is usually larger for detailed pages and can be smaller for simple ones.
Are my PS files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful PS to TIFF conversion needs Ghostscript, MuPDF and ImageMagick, three open-source tools, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the TIFF as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several PS files to TIFF at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a TIFF file?
Safari shows TIFF; Chrome, Edge and Firefox download it instead of displaying it. TIFF is common for print production, scanning, archiving and medical imaging.
Is this PS to TIFF converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert PS to TIFF on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the TIFF is saved to your Downloads folder.