TIFF, which stands for Tagged Image File Format (also abbreviated TIF), is a versatile raster image format used widely for storing high-quality images. It was originally developed by Aldus Corporation and is now maintained with Adobe's involvement; it supports lossless compression and can store image data, metadata, and even multiple images within a single file, depending on the variant. Key points about TIFF:
- Flexibility: TIFF is a container format that can hold various color depths, sample formats (including grayscale, RGB, CMYK), and compression methods (lossless like LZW or Deflate, as well as some lossy options depending on the software). This makes it suitable for professional workflows where image quality matters more than file size.
- Use cases: It is commonly used in desktop publishing, scanning workflows, archiving, and image editing pipelines because it preserves detail and supports metadata and layers in some implementations.
- Variants and standards: The format has evolved with multiple ISO-adopted variants (e.g., TIFF/EP, TIFF/IT, TIFF-F, TIFF-FX) to address specific industries and use cases such as professional photography, printing, and archival needs.
- Common perceptions: TIFF is often preferred when preserving image fidelity is more important than having small file sizes, especially in workflows that involve repeated editing.
If you’d like, I can tailor this to a specific context (printing, archival, photography workflows) or explain how TIFF compares to other formats like JPEG, PNG, or PDF in your use case.
