TIFF
Also known as: tif file, tiff vs jpeg, tagged image file format
TIFF (.tif/.tiff) is a high-quality image format used in photography, scanning, and printing. It is typically lossless and stores full detail, which makes files very large — often many times the size of a JPEG of the same image.
- Typically lossless, often uncompressed
- Common in editing, scanning, and print
- Far larger than JPEG or HEIF
Built for quality, not size
TIFF is favored where image fidelity matters most: professional photo editing, document scanning, and print production. It is usually saved lossless or even uncompressed, preserving every pixel and supporting high bit-depth color.
That fidelity comes at a steep storage cost. A single high-resolution TIFF can run into tens of megabytes — dramatically larger than the same photo as JPEG or HEIF.
When you find TIFFs taking space
TIFF files often arrive from scanners, fax tools, and editing apps. If you do not need archival quality, converting them to JPEG or WebP can cut their size enormously with little visible difference, freeing significant space.