What is a TIFF file?
The TIF format was created in 1986 by Aldus Corporation. It was designed for the purposes of desktop publishing and became an international format standard in 1993. This image format copyright is now owned by Adobe.
TIFF meaning
A TIFF (or TIFF) are image files that have the file extension .tif or .tiff. TIF or TIFF stands for Tagged Image File Format. This file type is used for high-quality graphics and raster graphics. With a TIFF file, you get lossless compression. This means that image data isn’t lost when an image file is compressed. For photographers and graphic artists, this format allows images to be archived in a high-quality format without taking up a lot of space or compromising the image quality.
How to open TIFF
Now you know what is a TIFF file, let's see how to view it. You can open up TIFF files in Windows Photos and Photo Viewer. Though this lets you open them, you can’t edit them in these programs. On a Mac computer, TIFF files can be opened in the Preview app. You can also use a third-party app to view or edit TIFF files. Examples of third-party apps include XnView, Color Strokes, ACDSee, and Graphic Converter.
How to convert TIFF?
You can convert TIFF files to other file formats. If you open a TIFF image in the Windows Photo app, you can edit it and then save it as a JPG file for example. If you want to convert TIFF to PDF, you can do this online for free!
Benefits of TIFF format
There are many advantages to TIFF files, which led to its popularity among graphics artists all over the world. One of the biggest advantages of these files is that they can manage all data and images within one file. This includes header tags like definition, size, arrangement of image data, and image compression making the file both adaptable and flexible. For example, a TIFF file, therefore, can contain PackBits and JPEG compressed images.
Another benefit of TIFF format is its ability to be rendered in all classes, these include RGB full color, color palette, or grayscale. So, as well as being an image container for different file formats, it is also a single format itself that can be used on all computer platforms.
What’s more, image data can be stored in a lossless format. Standard and common images are typically saved as JPEG files, but this is a lossy format. When you save an image as a TIFF file, you’re essentially archiving it to be able to transfer or edit it further without losing any of the image quality. Another lossless format is the BMP format, but this is not as flexible as a TIFF.
How to edit TIFF?
If you want to edit a TIFF file, you can use a photo editing program like GIMP, Adobe Photoshop, or even Microsoft Paint. This depends on what you would like to edit. Basic editing features are available in the Windows app. You can adjust lighting, size, rotation, crop, flip images, straighten images, and change the image’s aspect ratio.
What is a TIFF file: Bottom Line
A TIFF (or TIF) image preserves not only the original high quality but also all necessary data for further transmission. This format is perfect for graphic designers, however, not always easy to share with colleagues and friends given the large file size. To make the process easier, convert TIFF to PDF and forget about problems with sending.
