Files in TIF and TIFF formats - how to open on a computer and online

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All raster graphics editors, even the simplest ones, are capable of saving images in different formats. Classic Paint offers a choice of six formats, Adobe Photoshop and other professional tools - dozens. But why such a huge number of formats if you can get by with just a few, and why hasn’t a single format been developed yet that removes all the limitations and difficulties that arise when working with different types of images?

The answer sounds quite simple - each of the formats has its own unique, and sometimes mutually exclusive, set of features that allows you to use the image in a certain area with maximum efficiency. This is, for example, the TIFF or TIF format, which we will talk about today. You have probably come across this format, which is quite remarkable in many respects more than once, but most likely you have not thought about its features and advantages, just as you have not wondered how to open TIFF.

TIFF - what is this format?

And yet, what is TIFF for, and why is it so good? Let's start with the fact that TIFF and TIF are the same format. TIF and TIFF files have an identical structure, the only difference is in the extension. The format was born in 1986 thanks to the joint efforts of Microsoft and Aldus Corporation and was originally used in the PostScript page description language. For some time it had the status of the main graphics format in the NeXTSTEP OS, and due to its ability to store image data with a large color depth, it was adopted by manufacturers of cameras and printing equipment.

What is tif

The "tif" extension is an abbreviation for "Tagged Image file". In parallel, there is also a similar format, differing only by one extra letter - tiff, which is an abbreviation for “Tagged Image File Format” (tagged image file format).

A file with the extension ".tif" or ".tiff" is a file used to store high-quality raster graphics. This format supports lossless compression in image quality, so it is quite popular among designers and artists, who quite often store their work as tif files.

An important feature of this format is the ability to store several images in one file, which can be viewed sequentially using special programs.

There is also a similar file format called "geoTIFF" which, along with images, stores GPS coordinates in the form of metadata.

If you need help playing other formats, use the standard search on the site, some of them are VSD, EPS and RTF.

Features, advantages and disadvantages

Currently, TIFF is actively used in printing, when sending faxes, digitizing printed documents, and also as an intermediate format for saving projects in graphic editors. An example of this is a multi-page TIFF, which is often saved as a PDF document after final editing. TIFF also occupies its niche in photography, being positioned as an alternative to the “raw” RAW format.

TIFF, like JPEG, uses compression (it is optional), but unlike the popular format, compression in TIFF practically does not lead to loss of quality, however, much depends on the algorithm. So, if the TIFF file is intended to be printed, it is necessary to give preference to images without compression or compressed using the LZW or ZIP algorithms. Another important advantage of the format is its support for a wide range of color spaces, among which binary, grayscale, indexed palette, RGB, CMYK, YCbCr and CIE Lab are available. Also noteworthy is TIFF's ability to store both raster and vector data, which makes it a universal format like PDF.

But versatility comes at a price. The format is not without its drawbacks, among which the most important is the significant size of TIF files, which weigh at least 10 times more than JPEG files. Their large size limits the use of this type of file on the web; moreover, their viewing is not supported even by the most popular browsers. Problems with displaying TIFF images can also occur on phones, DVD players and other mobile gadgets. Among other disadvantages of the format, it is worth mentioning the low speed of continuous shooting in photography, higher consumption of computer resources during processing and irrational use for everyday needs.

Multipage TIFF. Create a report in TIFF without problems

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• To convert any image into the “correct” TIFF (and create a multi-page file), you don’t even need to install any software on your computer. Just use our online converter.
• Next, click on the “Add Images” button and select the desired file (you can have several at once).
• Now we adjust the color depth (remember that the tax office requires a black and white image).
• The next step is to select the compression type. Here you can choose any one.
• In the “Resize” block, enter the DPI (from 150 to 300).
• Click on the “Convert” button.
• After some time (required to complete the process), the converted file will be available for download. The user will be shown a message with a download link. Now the file can be downloaded and sent to the Federal Tax Service with a light heart.

You can make one TIFF file from the photos you have.

What image formats can I upload?

Currently, almost all image formats are supported. We convert them to TIFF ourselves. But not all graphic files will be displayed in your browser.

TIFF (Image File Format) is a graphics format that can use multiple images at once, combining them into a multi-page document. Its peculiarity is that it can contain graphic files with maximum quality (lossless). That is why this format is usually used for scanning official documents, various graphic publications, and other things.

Benefits of using TIFF

What is the difference between images in this format and the common JPG? At least in that the latter uses a strong compression ratio. And this negatively affects the image quality. Sometimes the text is completely impossible to read. But TIFF has other advantages.

• Fully customizable resolution. When creating a multi-page document in TIFF format, you should pay special attention to the image resolution (DPI). The higher it is, the more readable the document text will be. The format supports any resolution. If only you could find a printer that would print it all out later.
• Decent color depth. TIFF is capable of supporting the 64-bit True Color RGBA depth standard. This means that not only the text, but also the accompanying graphics will have the correct color rendering. This is very important for the subsequent use of the document. Of course, not all printers are capable of printing such a variety of colors, but this is important for an electronic presentation.
• Supports various compression types. This format can be compressed in a variety of ways. Currently available technologies are PACKBITS, JPEG 6+, JBIG, JPEG, FLATE, LZW, CCITT FAX3, CCITT FAX4 and CCITT RLE. You can also do without compression at all. But this will significantly increase the final file size. But the quality will be appropriate.
• Ability to create multi-page documents. You can integrate any number of other files containing text and images into the TIFF format. And all this will be stored in numbered order. When such a document is opened, its entire structure will be displayed in the sequence specified by the user.
• All the advantages of the format described above make it almost ideal for storing and processing official documents. That is why many institutions require that papers be sent by email to TIFF. And the tax office is no exception. But these guys have their own requirements for documents.

Requirements for electronic documents from the Federal Tax Service

The tax office (like other authorities) has its own requirements for documents that are sent to them electronically. They are not always adequate, but they must be followed. Otherwise, the document will not be accepted at all. Regarding information in TIFF format, tax authorities have the following requirements:

• Color: black and white (1 bit);
• Resolution (DPI): from 150 to 300;
• Type: scanned image;
• Multi-page: Yes.

Probably, such requirements are due to the fact that the Federal Tax Service still has a lot of old machines that cannot work with high resolutions or good color depth. But that's not the point. The main thing is that there are requirements and they must be fulfilled. In addition to TIFF, the tax office accepts documents in PDF, RTF, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Open Document Text, Document Spreadsheet, Open XML Word and Open XML Spreadsheet formats. But TIFF is still preferable. So how to “distill” a document into TIFF with the correct parameters? Very simple.

Error: "Image width must not be more than 3000 dpi"

Through analysis, it turned out that the ending “per inch” is just an error and 3000 points need to be read. Those. The resolution of your image should not exceed exactly 3000 pixels.

And our service has a solution - look at the size of your image and set the “Specify size in percentage” field to a value at which the result will not exceed the required 3000 pixels

For example, the width of your image is 4000 pixels, but you need 3000 - in this case 3000/4000 * 100 = 75%, these numbers do not need to be calculated exactly, so if you set it to 70%, no one will scold you.

Programs for reading TIFF files

We hope it’s clear what the TIFF format is and where it is used, now let’s move on to the question of how to open it. By and large, you won’t need any third-party programs for this. To view TIFF images, you can use either the built-in photo viewer in Windows 7 and 8.1 or the universal Photos app in Windows 10. But you can just as easily resort to third-party viewers.

XnView

One of the most popular and best image viewers, supporting more than 400 graphic formats. If you are looking for a way to open TIFF format, install XnView and forget about all your problems at once. The application will allow you not only to view, but also to convert files of different formats between each other. There are many additional functions available, including editing, working with metadata, creating HTML pages, resizing images, taking screenshots, counting the colors used in a picture, applying various filters and effects, and much more.

How to make a multi-page TIFF? You can easily assemble it in XnView. Select Tools – Multi-page file – Create from the program menu, add “glued” files to the program, specify the folder to save and click “Create”. Sources can be not only individual TIFF files, but also images of other formats. Additionally, it supports setting the parameters for creating a multi-page file - by clicking the “Options” button, you can select the compression algorithm and output image quality.

FastStone Image Viewer

Another popular tool that combines the functions of a viewer, graphic browser, converter and image editor. The program supports working with metadata and thumbnails, levels and curves, resizing images using eleven algorithms, creating screenshots, color correction, adding watermarks, red-eye removal, applying visual effects and batch processing.

FastStone Image Viewer's capabilities also include the creation of multi-page PDF and TIFF files. The option is available from the Create menu. The sequence of actions is approximately the same as in XnView - the user is asked to select an array of files to be merged, specify the format and compression, while the program allows you to set the size of the output image and apply a shadow effect to it. You can also use FastStone Image Viewer to create index sheets, slide shows, and image feeds.

IrfanView

A small but quite functional program for viewing graphic files. The user who installs IrfanView will have access to such functions as color correction, reading metadata, including when working in full screen and slide show mode, creating screenshots, receiving images from scanners, extracting icons from executable EXE, DLL and ICL files, creating based on images web pages.

In addition to opening TIFF files, IrfanView supports combining them into multi-page images. To create such a file, in the application menu you need to select Options – Multipage images – Create Multipage TIF, create a list of objects, specify, if required, the compression method and other parameters, and then start the creation procedure by clicking the “Create TIF image” button. The program has many other useful functions, for example, video and audio playback.

Picasa

This program is an image manager with basic editing tools. Picasa allows you to view and organize images, apply simple effects to them, and share them with other users via social networks, email, and a special web service. The program is a good help in creating collages, slide shows, presentations and videos. You can also use it to create backup copies of images on CD or DVD, and add tags and geo-coordinates to the metadata. In terms of functionality, Picasa is inferior to the three previous programs, but copes with viewing TIFF no worse.

ACDSee Free

How else to open TIF? If you don't need a lot of editing features, try ACDSee Free, a free version of the popular image organizer. The program is characterized by high speed and a wide range of printing settings. Among the additional features of the tool, it is worth noting the expanded scaling options, as well as the use of gamma correction.

How to view a .tif file

Below I will list viewer programs that allow you to open the tif file format. This is implemented in a standard way: launch the desired program, select “File” from the menu, “Open” in it, indicate to the system the path to the desired file and view the image that opens. If several images are stored in a tif file, then switching between them is usually done by clicking on the corresponding arrows of the screen functionality (left-right).

What programs can open tif files correctly? I recommend paying attention to the following tools:

Windows Photo Viewer . A classic tool built into the functionality of modern Windows operating systems, used to view images (however, in Windows 10 it is hidden by default and must be activated). To view a tif file using this tool, you need to right-click on such a file, select the “Open with” option in the menu that opens, and select “Windows Photo Viewer” from the available list.

• https://www.xnview.com/en/xnview/#downloads – cross-platform viewer for viewing images. Supports viewing more than 500 types of graphic files and converting from one type of file to another (more than 50 formats). Individual use of this product is free;
• InViewer is a compact and fast viewer with an advanced interface that also allows you to view the contents of tif files;
• Open Freely is another free viewer that can open many types of documents, including the tif format we need;
• https://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDownload.htm – a functional tool that includes an editor, viewer and image converter, and can also work with tif files;
• CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 is a famous graphics editor developed by the Canadian company Corel. It has a paid nature and supports viewing and editing files with the tif extension;
• Adobe Photoshop CC is an equally famous image editor from Adobe Systems. Among all the wealth of its capabilities, there is also support for working with the tif format;
• https://www.acdsee.com/en/products/photo-studio-home/ – a powerful graphic editor and viewer that can view tif format. It also has a paid nature;
• https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html - the vector graphics editor also copes well with files of the format we need.

Can view tif files and other image viewing programs.

How to open a TIFF file online

If for some reason you can't view the TIFF (associations failed, you're using a mobile device, etc.), it's easy to open the TIFF online using one of the web tools.

TIFF Viewer Online

A simple resource for viewing different file types, including TIFF. Extremely simple to use. The file is uploaded from a computer or via a URL to a server, where it is converted into a format viewable in a browser. The “View” link opens the file for viewing in a separate tab, the “Delete” link deletes it from the server. You can also select the quality of the picture you are viewing. The service is available at www.ofoct.com/viewer/tiff-viewer-online.html.

CoolUtils.com

Using this service you can combine TIFF files into one online. The operating principle is simple. The user uploads files to the server one by one, clicks the “Combine My Files” button and immediately receives the assembled file. Unfortunately, the number of added files is limited to five, and there is also no option to configure settings. Only TIFF files can be combined using the service. The web tool is located at www.coolutils.com/ru/online/TIFF-Combine.

Jinaconvert.com

The Jinaconvert.com web converter (jinaconvert.com/ru/convert-to-tiff.php) provides slightly more opportunities for creating multi-page TIFFs online. Unlike CoolUtils.com, you can upload significantly more files at one time, and they don't necessarily have to be in TIFF format. In this case, TIFF is the output format, and JPEG or PNG images can be used as sources. The web tool does not allow you to configure conversion parameters.

What is better to use

The TIFF format is not one of the “exotic” formats, so standard Windows tools do an excellent job of opening it. As for mobile platforms such as Android, to view TIFF images you will need special programs, which, however, can be easily found in the Play Market. When it comes to creating multi-page TIFFs, preference should be given to third-party programs, since online services offer very meager functionality in this regard, not so much creating PDF-type pages as simply merging individual files into one long canvas file that is not convenient for viewing.

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For Android

Users spend a lot of time in the Play Market to find an application that will run TIF files on their phone. Developers offer both free and paid options, but the first types rarely correspond to the declared functionality.

The most popular software that works with such formats is the Multi-Free Viewer Free application, which is installed free of charge. A user-friendly interface and quick launch are integral advantages.

It is also recommended to use the following paid applications that successfully cope with the main responsibilities:

• Fax Viewer – automatically searches for data in TIF format immediately after launching the program, the operating speed is at an acceptable level;
• Smart TIFF Viewer – works great with multi-page files and offers a low cost compared to competitors;
• TIFF Viewer PRO is designed to work with volumetric data and also boasts an advanced interface.

The choice of program for Android depends on the user; it is not at all necessary to use paid options. The main thing is that the format is supported by software and launches without difficulty.

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Using online services

Opening information with the TIF extension online is not a problem. Experts offer a free resource called Ofoct. To open a file, you need to select it in the appropriate memory area and click on the “Upload” button.

Also, to perform such operations, you can use applications that are supported by browsers. These include TIF Viewer, which is used for Google, and Google Docs Viewer - Opera.