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Compress TIFF images

Shrink large TIFF scans losslessly or convert them to JPG, PNG or WebP for sharing.

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How to compress TIFF files

  1. Add your files

    Drop files on the box, paste them or choose them from your device. Nothing is uploaded.

  2. Check the settings

    The default preset suits most files. Change quality, size or format if you need a smaller file.

  3. Download the result

    Save each file or all of them as one ZIP. If a file cannot get smaller, you keep the original.

TIFF: the format of scanners, print and archives

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) appeared in 1986 for desktop scanners and became the working format of printing, publishing, medical imaging, mapping (GeoTIFF) and digital archives. It is a flexible container rather than a single codec: one file can hold several pages, 8 or 16 bits per channel, CMYK for print, layers saved by Photoshop, and a choice of compression methods.

That flexibility is why TIFFs are so large. Scanners and cameras often save them uncompressed. An A4 page scanned in color at 300 DPI is 2480 × 3508 pixels; at 3 bytes per pixel that is about 26 MB for one page, and a 16-bit scan doubles it. Web browsers, with the exception of Safari, cannot even display TIFF files.

Compression methods inside a TIFF

MethodTypeBest for
None—Fast editing, maximum compatibility
LZWLosslessGeneral use, supported by almost every program
Deflate (ZIP)LosslessOften smaller than LZW, slightly less universal
PackBitsLosslessSimple graphics with large flat areas
CCITT Group 4Lossless, black and white onlyScanned text documents and faxes
JPEGLossyPhotographs where small size matters more than exact pixels

Lossless methods work well on scans of documents with white paper and flat areas, and poorly on photographs full of grain, where even the best lossless method keeps most of the original size.

What this tool does with a TIFF

The tool decodes the TIFF in your browser and lets you choose the output: a losslessly compressed TIFF (Deflate), or a conversion to JPG, PNG, WebP or AVIF with optional resizing. TIFF output keeps every page of a multi-page file; the other formats hold one image per file, so only the first page is converted and the result note says so. In every output, 16-bit images are saved with 8 bits per channel, and CMYK is converted to RGB. In our tests, an uncompressed A4 grayscale scan and an uncompressed photo became 76–97 % smaller as lossless TIFF.

Which output to choose depends on what happens to the file next:

  • Sharing a photo or scan by email or chat: convert to JPG at quality 80 and resize the longest side to 1920 or 2560 px. This turns tens of megabytes into a file that fits any attachment limit.
  • A scanned text page that must stay sharp: PNG keeps the edges of letters exact. For a multi-page document, a PDF is usually the better container; compress it with the PDF compressor.
  • Archiving an 8-bit scan: keep TIFF output at full resolution, so no pixel is lost. For a print shop's CMYK or 16-bit files, send the original instead.

Things to watch out for

  • CMYK files look different after conversion. Print TIFFs often use CMYK, while the tool writes RGB, so saturated print colors can shift.
  • 16-bit depth. The tool reduces 16-bit images to 8 bits per channel, even in TIFF output. For viewing that is invisible, but photographers editing raw-like scans should keep the 16-bit original.
  • Very large scans. The limit is 100 megapixels and 200 MB per image, and a 600 DPI scan of a large poster can exceed that. Scan at a lower resolution or split the file first.
  • GeoTIFF and scientific data. Conversion to a screen format removes the georeferencing and measurement tags. Keep such files as TIFF.

TIFF questions

Is TIF the same as TIFF?

Yes. The .tif extension is the three-letter form of .tiff; the content is the same format.

Why can't I preview a TIFF in my browser?

Chrome, Edge and Firefox do not display TIFF images natively. The tool brings its own TIFF decoder, so it works in any current browser.

Will compressing a TIFF lose quality?

Not for an 8-bit RGB or grayscale TIFF, if you keep TIFF output or convert to PNG; 16-bit files are reduced to 8 bits and CMYK to RGB. Converting to JPG, WebP or AVIF removes detail you control with the quality setting.

What resolution should a scan have?

For reading on screen, 150 DPI is plenty for text pages and 300 DPI for photos you may print. Higher resolutions mainly make the file bigger.

More tools

Back to the image compressor for other formats, or read how it works to see why your scans stay on your own computer.