Origin
TIFF emerged in the desktop publishing era, when scanners, page-layout software, and print production needed a flexible way to exchange high-quality raster images. Aldus created the format, and Adobe later became its steward after acquiring Aldus.
The key idea was extensibility. Instead of one narrow image layout, TIFF uses tags to describe dimensions, color, compression, resolution, pages, and other properties. That made it useful across scanners, fax systems, archives, and publishing pipelines.
Technical characteristics
TIFF can store bilevel, grayscale, indexed, RGB, CMYK, high-bit-depth, and sometimes specialized scientific imagery. It can be uncompressed or compressed with schemes such as LZW, PackBits, or JPEG. It can also hold multiple pages, which is why scanned document sets often appear as multipage TIFFs.
That flexibility is both a strength and a hazard. Two TIFF files can be very different internally, and not every app supports every tag, color space, compression mode, or bit depth. TIFF is therefore excellent inside controlled workflows but less friendly as a casual web format.
Where it fits
Use TIFF for preservation scans, print handoff, high-resolution masters, microscopy and lab images, and document capture systems where metadata and fidelity matter. Convert to JPEG, PNG, WebP, or PDF for public web delivery or everyday sharing.
A practical rule: keep TIFF when the file is a master or production asset; export smaller derivatives for readers, browsers, and upload forms.
Best uses
- Archival scans and document capture
- Print and prepress handoff
- High-bit-depth image masters
Use another format when
- Direct web publishing
- Unknown consumer software
- Small thumbnails and fast page loads