What happens when you convert TIF to TIFF
- TIF and TIFF are the same format with different extensions, so nothing is re-encoded. The file is copied byte for byte and saved with a .tiff extension.
- Because the bytes are identical, the TIFF has exactly the same quality, dimensions and size as the TIF.
How to convert TIF to TIFF 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 TIFF". Images convert in a second or two each.
- Save each TIFF with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.
Why convert TIF to TIFF?
TIF files usually come from scanners, fax software and print shops. People convert them to TIFF because TIFF is the format printers, scanners and archives trust for lossless images.
In short, TIF 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. Safari shows TIF; Chrome, Edge and Firefox download it instead of displaying it, while Safari shows TIFF; Chrome, Edge and Firefox download it instead of displaying it.
How to convert TIF to TIFF 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 TIFF is saved to your Downloads folder. Paint can also re-save an image as TIFF 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 TIFF files land in Downloads. Preview can do single images too: open the file, choose File, then Export, and pick TIFF.
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 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 TIF files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The TIFF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
TIF vs TIFF: the differences
| TIF | TIFF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tagged Image File Format | Tagged Image File Format |
| Type | image | image |
| Created by | Aldus Corporation | Aldus Corporation |
| First released | 1986 | 1986 |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | No |
| Vector or raster | Raster | Raster |
| Colour | up to 32 bits per channel, including CMYK | up to 32 bits per channel, including CMYK |
| In a browser | Safari shows it; Chrome, Edge and Firefox download it instead of displaying it | Safari shows it; Chrome, Edge and Firefox download it instead of displaying it |
| Common uses | scanners, fax software and print shops | print production, scanning, archiving and medical imaging |
| MIME type | image/tiff | image/tiff |
About TIF and TIFF 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 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.
TIF to TIFF 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 TIFF is always the right way up.
- The file is bigger than expected. It is not: the TIFF is the same size as the TIF, byte for byte.
Convert TIF to TIFF from the command line
If you work in a terminal, ImageMagick converts TIF to TIFF in one line:
magick input.tif output.tiffTo convert every TIF in a folder at once, use magick mogrify -format tiff *.tif. The converter on this page does the same job without installing anything.
TIF to TIFF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting TIF to TIFF?
No. TIF and TIFF are the same format, and the file is copied without being re-encoded.
Why is the TIFF a different size from the TIF?
It is not: the TIFF is the same size as the TIF, byte for byte.
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 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 TIF to TIFF 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 TIFF 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.