How to use it
- Drop in JPG files.
- Each becomes an uncompressed TIFF.
- Download the TIFFs.
What the conversion can and cannot do
A TIFF made from a JPG holds exactly the pixels the JPG had, compression artefacts and all. It cannot restore detail the JPG discarded. What it does is stop further loss: a TIFF can be opened, edited and saved any number of times without degrading, unlike a JPG, which is compressed again on every save.
Common reasons to do it
- A magazine, stock agency or print shop requires TIFF.
- You are about to retouch a photo in several sessions and want a lossless working copy.
- An archive or records system specifies TIFF for long-term storage.
Expect big files
TIFFs here are uncompressed, so a 12 MP photo becomes about 48 MB. That is normal. If a size limit is a problem, ask whether the recipient accepts LZW-compressed TIFF or a high-quality JPG instead.
JPG and TIFF compared
| JPG | TIFF | |
|---|---|---|
| First released | 1992 | 1986 |
| Compression | Lossy | None, lossless, or JPEG inside |
| Transparency | No | Yes |
| Animation or pages | No | Multiple pages |
| Best for | Photos for sharing, email and print | Scanning, print and archives |
| Support | Universal | Professional software; Safari is the only major browser |
Questions people ask
Does JPG to TIFF improve quality?
No. It preserves the current quality and prevents further loss when editing.
Why is the TIFF so large?
It is uncompressed: about four bytes per pixel.
Can I convert TIFF back to JPG?
Yes, with TIFF to JPG.