What happens when you convert TIF to PNG
- The image is decoded and written as a lossless 32-bit PNG.
- A small TIFF decoder is fetched when you press Convert. For multi-page TIF files, the first page is converted.
How to convert TIF to PNG online
- Press "Choose TIF files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
- Adjust the settings if you need to. The output is lossless, so there is no quality setting to worry about.
- Press "Convert to PNG". Images convert in a second or two each.
- Save each PNG with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.
Why convert TIF to PNG?
TIF files usually come from scanners, fax software and print shops. People convert them to PNG because PNG keeps sharp edges, text and transparency without any loss.
In short, TIF is good at what it was made for, and PNG is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. Safari shows TIF; Chrome, Edge and Firefox download it instead of displaying it, while PNG opens in every browser and image viewer.
How to convert TIF to PNG on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your TIF files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each PNG is saved to your Downloads folder. Paint can also re-save an image as PNG with Save as, provided Windows can open the TIF in the first place.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the TIF files from Finder onto the drop zone and the PNG files land in Downloads. Preview can do single images too: open the file, choose File, then Export, and pick PNG.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose TIF files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted PNG 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 TIF files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The PNG is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for TIF to PNG
PNG is written losslessly, so there is no quality setting to get wrong. The Maximum width setting is there if you need a smaller image: it scales down before saving and never scales up.
TIF vs PNG: the differences
| TIF | PNG | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tagged Image File Format | Portable Network Graphics |
| Type | image | image |
| Created by | Aldus Corporation | the PNG Development Group |
| First released | 1986 | 1996 |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | No |
| Vector or raster | Raster | Raster |
| Colour | up to 32 bits per channel, including CMYK | up to 16 bits per channel with a full alpha channel |
| In a browser | Safari shows it; Chrome, Edge and Firefox download it instead of displaying it | opens in every browser and image viewer |
| Common uses | scanners, fax software and print shops | screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with transparency |
| MIME type | image/tiff | image/png |
About TIF and PNG files
What is a TIF file?
TIF and TIFF are the same format; scanners and fax software tend to write the three-letter extension. Many TIF files hold several pages, which is common with faxes and multi-page scans.
What is a PNG file?
PNG compresses without losing a single pixel, so screenshots and text stay razor sharp, but a photograph saved as PNG is often three to five times the size of the same photo as JPG.
TIF to PNG not working? Common problems
- Colours look slightly different. Browsers convert images to the standard sRGB colour space when they decode them, so wide-gamut and CMYK images can shift a little.
- A phone photo comes out upright even though it looked sideways elsewhere. That is correct: the rotation stored in the photo is applied during conversion, so the PNG is always the right way up.
- The file is bigger than expected. The PNG is usually larger, because it stores every pixel without compression losses, while the TIF was compressed lossily.
Convert TIF to PNG from the command line
If you work in a terminal, ImageMagick converts TIF to PNG in one line:
magick input.tif output.pngTo convert every TIF in a folder at once, use magick mogrify -format png *.tif. The converter on this page does the same job without installing anything.
TIF to PNG converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting TIF to PNG?
No further quality is lost, because PNG is written losslessly. Detail the TIF compression already removed does not come back.
Why is the PNG a different size from the TIF?
The PNG is usually larger, because it stores every pixel without compression losses, while the TIF was compressed lossily.
Are my TIF files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside this browser tab using your browser's own image decoder, so your files stay on your device. You can disconnect from the internet after the page has loaded and it still works.
Can I convert several TIF files to PNG 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 PNG file?
PNG opens in every browser and image viewer. PNG is common for screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with transparency.
Is this TIF to PNG converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert. The site is paid for by advertising, and because conversions run on your device there is no server cost per file.
Can I convert TIF to PNG on my phone?
Yes. The converter works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. Converted files are saved to the Downloads folder.