TIFF

A tag-based container for high-fidelity raster images, supporting layers, multiple pages, CMYK and both lossless and uncompressed storage.

Representation

binary

Compression

LZW, Deflate, PackBits, None

Lossy

No

Transparency

Yes

Open specification

Yes

Introduced

1986

Created by

Aldus, later Adobe

• Windowsfull
• macOSfull
• Linuxfull
• Androidpartial
• iOSpartial

Browsers: None — browsers do not render TIFF natively.

Applications: Photoshop, InDesign, scanning suites, GIS tools.

• Lossless and high bit depth
• Multi-page support
• CMYK for print

• Very large files
• No browser support
• Many variants, so some readers fail

• Print production
• Document scanning
• Archival masters

• TIFF to PNG
• TIFF to JPG
• TIFF to PDF
• TIFF to WEBP

Every conclusion below is derived from the structured facts on this page — nothing is written by hand.

• Image quality100/100

  • Because it is lossless, so decoding returns the original pixels exactly.
  • Because it carries ICC colour profiles, so colours survive the round trip.
  • Because it preserves layers rather than flattening the artwork.

• Transparency100/100

  • Because it supports transparency.
  • Because it stores a full alpha channel, allowing soft edges and partial opacity.

• Software compatibility100/100

  • Because a broad range of applications read and write it.
  • Because several mainstream applications support it.

• Cloud compatibility100/100

  • Because an open specification means cloud SDKs can implement it without licensing friction.
  • Because it converts into many other formats, which suits automated pipelines.

• Long-term archiving100/100

  • Because the specification is public, so a decoder can always be rebuilt.
  • Because lossless storage preserves the original data for future migrations.
  • Because it is a current, actively maintained format.

• Professional editing100/100

  • Because lossless data survives repeated open-edit-save cycles without degrading.
  • Because layers stay editable instead of being flattened.
  • Because colour profiles travel with the file, keeping the pipeline colour-managed.

• Metadata support100/100

  • Because it carries EXIF-style embedded metadata.
  • Because it embeds colour-profile metadata.

• Open standards100/100

  • Because the specification is published openly.

• Licensing100/100

  • Because an openly specified format can be implemented without a licence negotiation.
  • Because the core patents are old enough to have expired.

• Future-proofing88/100

  • Because it is actively maintained and current.
  • Because open specifications outlive the companies that create them.
  • Because nothing in the graph supersedes it yet.

• AI compatibility86/100

  • Because open specifications are implemented by the open-source decoders that ML stacks rely on.
  • Because lossless pixels avoid compression artefacts leaking into training data.
  • Because wide library support means common data loaders can read it.

• Printing suitability85/100

  • Because embedded ICC profiles keep colour predictable between screen and press.
  • Because lossless data means no compression artefacts appear at print resolution.

• Popularity71/100

  • Because it sits at the centre of the format ecosystem, with many documented relationships.
  • Because mainstream applications ship support for it.
  • Because it is still current rather than being phased out.

• Web suitability17/100

  • Because browsers cannot display it directly.
  • Because lossless payloads cost more bandwidth than the web usually justifies.

• Compression efficiency23/100

  • Because it stores data losslessly, so files stay large.
  • Because its codec generation predates modern entropy coding and block partitioning.

• Everyday consumer usage25/100

  • Because some devices ask the person to install something first.
  • Because it does not satisfy: small files are easy to email, message and upload.

• Browser compatibility33/100

  • Because native browser support is incomplete or undocumented.

• Operating system compatibility33/100

  • Because at least one mainstream platform needs extra software.

• Decode performance33/100

  • Because large lossless payloads cost bandwidth and memory.
  • Because it does not satisfy: a flat structure decodes in one pass.