Lossy or lossless: which compression should I use for web images?

Use lossy (JPG, WebP, AVIF) for photographs — the human eye barely notices the difference at quality 80–85, and file sizes are 5–20× smaller. Use lossless (PNG, WebP-lossless) for screenshots, UI mockups, logos and anything with sharp edges or text — lossy creates ugly artifacts around boundaries.

Does conversion preserve EXIF metadata (camera, GPS, date)?

It depends on the tool: ImageMagick and FFmpeg copy EXIF by default, while cwebp drops it unless you pass -metadata all . KaijuConverter strips metadata server-side after conversion to protect your privacy — if you need to keep camera or GPS data, use a desktop tool you control.

Lossy or lossless: which compression should I use for web images?

Use lossy (JPG, WebP, AVIF) for photographs — the human eye barely notices the difference at quality 80–85, and file sizes are 5–20× smaller. Use lossless (PNG, WebP-lossless) for screenshots, UI mockups, logos and anything with sharp edges or text — lossy creates ugly artifacts around boundaries.

Does conversion preserve EXIF metadata (camera, GPS, date)?

It depends on the tool: ImageMagick and FFmpeg copy EXIF by default, while cwebp drops it unless you pass -metadata all . KaijuConverter strips metadata server-side after conversion to protect your privacy — if you need to keep camera or GPS data, use a desktop tool you control.

Guide

TIFF: Tagged Image File Format & Professional Image Archive

PC By Pablo Cirre • Updated May 7, 2026

TIFF: Tagged Image File Format & Professional Image Archive

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is one of the most versatile and widely used image formats in professional photography, document scanning, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), and archival applications. Developed by Aldus Corporation (now merged with Adobe), TIFF's flexibility and support for lossless compression make it the standard for high-quality image storage and interchange.

Core Architecture & Flexibility

TIFF's fundamental design principle is "tag-based" metadata. Every TIFF file contains a collection of tags that describe the image structure, color space, compression method, and resolution. This flexibility allows TIFF to store:

Single-page raster images (standard photography)
Multi-image documents (scanned documents, page sequences)
Hierarchical tile structures for large-format images
Embedded color profiles (ICC profiles for color-accurate reproduction)
Geospatial metadata (for GeoTIFF applications)

The TIFF specification supports both little-endian and big-endian byte ordering, making it platform-agnostic and compatible with both legacy systems and modern architectures.

Compression Methods

TIFF supports multiple compression algorithms, allowing users to choose the optimal balance between file size and processing speed:

LZW (Lempel-Ziv-Welch) Compression

Lossless compression algorithm widely used in TIFF and GIF
Reduces file size by 30-50% for typical photographs
Single-pass compression, efficient for both encoding and decoding
Originally patent-encumbered (patents expired 2003), now freely available
Ideal for documents with solid colors and text

DEFLATE (zlib) Compression

Combines LZ77 deflation with Huffman coding
Achieves 40-60% compression for photographic images
Used in PNG and modern TIFF implementations
Standard on Unix/Linux systems
Better compression ratio than LZW but slightly slower encoding

JPEG-in-TIFF

Embeds JPEG-compressed data within TIFF container
Combines JPEG lossy compression with TIFF's flexibility
Reduces file size to 5-15% of original for photographs
Preserves TIFF metadata and multi-image support
Useful when JPEG quality loss is acceptable

PackBits (RLE) Compression

Simple run-length encoding for solid-color images
Effective for documents, screenshots, synthetic graphics
Minimal compression overhead (fast encoding/decoding)
Can actually increase file size for complex images

CCITT Group 3 & Group 4 Compression

Fax-based compression standards for bilevel (black/white) images
Group 4: 10-20x compression for scanned documents
Lossless black/white compression, industry standard for document scanning
Group 3: Includes error recovery, 2D compression variant

Color Models & Bit Depths

TIFF supports comprehensive color representation:

Bilevel Images (1-bit)

Pure black and white (no grayscale)
Used for scanned documents, fax, text
Combined with Group 3/Group 4 compression achieves 50:1 ratios
File size: 1 MB document ≈ 20-50 KB bilevel TIFF

Grayscale (8-bit, 16-bit)

8-bit: 256 gray levels, standard for most grayscale photography
16-bit: 65,536 levels for professional medical imaging, archival
12-bit variations for scientific applications
File size: 8-bit grayscale photo (4000×3000px) ≈ 36 MB uncompressed

Palette (Indexed Color) (1-8 bits)

Limited color palette (2 to 256 colors)
Efficient for graphics, logos, illustrations
Reduces file size compared to full RGB
Supports custom color tables

RGB Color (8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit)

8-bit RGB: 24-bit total (8 per channel), standard for web/print
16-bit RGB: 48-bit total, professional photography and HDR preview
32-bit RGB: adds alpha channel for transparency (uncommon in TIFF)
File size: 8-bit RGB photo (4000×3000px) ≈ 36 MB uncompressed

CMYK Color (8-bit, 16-bit)

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (black) for print production
8-bit CMYK: 32-bit total, standard for print workflows
16-bit CMYK: 64-bit total for professional prepress
Preserves spot color separation for accurate reproduction
File size: 8-bit CMYK (4000×3000px) ≈ 48 MB uncompressed

YCbCr Color

Digital video color space, Y (luma) + Cb/Cr (chrominance)
Used for JPEG-in-TIFF and video frame exports
Allows chroma subsampling (4:4:4, 4:2:2, 4:2:0)

Multi-Image & Tile Organization

Multi-Image TIFF (TIFF with IFD chains)

Single file containing multiple images (pages)
Used for scanned document sequences, multi-page forms
Each page can have different compression, resolution, color model
Industry standard for document management systems (DMS)
Example: 500-page scan = 500 MB single TIFF vs. 500 individual files

Tiled TIFF

Images organized into rectangular tiles (e.g., 256×256 pixels)
Enables efficient streaming and partial loading
Critical for large-format GIS data (satellite imagery, maps)
Allows random access to image regions without decompression
GeoTIFF uses tiling for continent-scale datasets (> 10 GB)

GeoTIFF: Geospatial Metadata

GeoTIFF extends TIFF with geospatial tags:

Coordinate System Tags: Latitude/longitude, UTM grid, projection system
Spatial Resolution: Meters per pixel (ground distance)
Tie-Point Records: Maps pixel coordinates to real-world locations
Scale Factors: Rotation, skew for georeferenced imagery
Supported Projections: Transverse Mercator, Lambert Conformal, Polar Stereographic, etc.

GeoTIFF enables direct integration with GIS software (QGIS, ArcGIS) without separate world files (.jgw).

Example: Satellite image (10,000×10,000 pixels, 30cm resolution) with GeoTIFF tags = 300 MB file covers 3 km² with full georeferencing.

Document Scanning & Preservation

TIFF is the archival standard for digitized documents:

Group 4 Compression: 500-page book scan ≈ 200-300 MB (vs. 2-3 GB uncompressed)
Color Accuracy: ICC profiles preserve original document colors
Metadata Preservation: XMP, EXIF tags store capture date, scanner model, resolution
Long-term Viability: Lossless compression ensures no degradation on repeated access
Legal Admissibility: TIFF archives accepted as legal document evidence (no lossy compression)

Government digitization projects (National Archives, Library of Congress) mandate TIFF with specific compression and metadata standards.

File Size Comparisons

Scenario	Resolution	Bit Depth	Compression	Size
Scanned B/W document (300 DPI)	2550×3300	1-bit	Group 4	100 KB
Color photograph (camera output)	4000×3000	8-bit RGB	LZW	20 MB
Grayscale medical X-ray (16-bit)	4096×4096	16-bit	DEFLATE	64 MB
GeoTIFF satellite image (30cm)	10000×10000	8-bit RGB	JPEG-in-TIFF	150 MB
Uncompressed same satellite image	10000×10000	8-bit RGB	None	300 MB

Typical Use Cases

Professional Photography: RAW processing workflows often export to TIFF for archival (uncompressed or LZW), preserving full color depth and metadata before conversion to JPEG for distribution.

Document Scanning: Law firms, accountants, and government agencies scan documents as Group 4 bilevel TIFFs—achieves high compression (50:1) while maintaining perfect text clarity.

Medical Imaging: DICOM data often exported to TIFF for archival. Grayscale 16-bit or 12-bit TIFFs preserve the full dynamic range of X-rays, CT scans, and ultrasound.

GIS & Remote Sensing: Satellite and aerial imagery stored as GeoTIFF with tile organization. ArcGIS, QGIS, and specialized geospatial software require GeoTIFF for georeferencing.

Print Production: CMYK TIFFs with ICC profiles sent to print shops for accurate color reproduction. Spot color separations embedded in CMYK data.

Archival & Preservation: Libraries, museums, and cultural institutions standardize on TIFF for long-term digitization (Library of Congress, National Archives). No lossy compression ensures future re-export without degradation.

TIFF remains the gold standard for professional imaging where quality, flexibility, and long-term viability are paramount.

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Frequently Asked Questions

LZW is classic lossless compression reducing file size 30-50%, fast but older. DEFLATE (zlib) achieves 40-60% compression using Huffman coding, better ratio but slightly slower. JPEG-in-TIFF embeds lossy JPEG data, achieving 5-15% of original size but with quality loss. Choose LZW for compatibility, DEFLATE for maximum compression, JPEG-in-TIFF when small size matters more than perfect quality.

LZW is classic sem perdas compressão reducing tamanho do arquivo 30-50%, fast mas older. DEFLATE (zlib) achieves 40-60% compressão usando Huffman coding, better ratio mas slightly slower. JPEG-in-TIFF embeds com perdas JPEG data, achieving 5-15% of original size mas com quality loss. Choose LZW para compatibilidade, DEFLATE para máximo compressão, JPEG-in-TIFF when small size matters more than perfect quality.

LZW is classic verlustfrei Komprimierung reducing Dateigröße 30-50%, fast aber older. DEFLATE (zlib) achieves 40-60% Komprimierung using Huffman coding, better ratio aber slightly slower. JPEG-in-TIFF embeds verlustbehaftet JPEG data, achieving 5-15% von original size aber mit quality loss. Choose LZW für Kompatibilität, DEFLATE für maximal Komprimierung, JPEG-in-TIFF when small size matters more than perfect quality.

LZW is classic sin pérdidas compresión reducing tamaño de archivo 30-50%, fast pero older. DEFLATE (zlib) achieves 40-60% compresión using Huffman coding, better ratio pero slightly slower. JPEG-in-TIFF embeds con pérdidas JPEG data, achieving 5-15% de original size pero con quality loss. Choose LZW para compatibilidad, DEFLATE para máximo compresión, JPEG-in-TIFF when small size matters more than perfect quality.

Use <strong>lossy</strong> (JPG, WebP, AVIF) for photographs — the human eye barely notices the difference at quality 80–85, and file sizes are 5–20× smaller. Use <strong>lossless</strong> (PNG, WebP-lossless) for screenshots, UI mockups, logos and anything with sharp edges or text — lossy creates ugly artifacts around boundaries.

TIFF with Group 4 compression achieves 50:1 compression on bilevel images while staying fully lossless—ideal for 100+ page documents at 50-100 KB per page. TIFF supports multi-image files (entire document in one file), preserves metadata (scan date, resolution, scanner model), and is legally admissible without lossy artifacts. PDFs are higher-level (contain formatting); JPEGs are lossy (unsuitable for text).

TIFF com Group 4 compressão achieves 50:1 compressão on bilevel images while staying fully sem perdas—ideal para 100+ page documents at 50-100 KB per page. TIFF suporta multi-image arquivos (entire document in one file), preserves metadata (scan date, resolução, scanner model), e is legally admissible sem com perdas artifacts. PDFs are altaer-level (contain formatoting); JPEGs are com perdas (unsuitable para text).

TIFF mit Group 4 Komprimierung achieves 50:1 Komprimierung on bilevel images while staying fully verlustfrei—ideal für 100+ page documents at 50-100 KB per page. TIFF unterstützt multi-image Dateien (entire document in one file), preserves metadata (scan date, Auflösung, scanner model), und is legally admissible ohne verlustbehaftet artifacts. PDFs are hocher-level (contain Formatting); JPEGs are verlustbehaftet (unsuitable für text).

TIFF con Group 4 compresión achieves 50:1 compresión on bilevel images while staying fully sin pérdidas—ideal para 100+ page documents at 50-100 KB per page. TIFF soporta multi-image archivos (entire document in one file), preserves metadata (scan date, resolución, scanner model), y is legally admissible sin con pérdidas artifacts. PDFs are altaer-level (contain formatoting); JPEGs are con pérdidas (unsuitable para text).

For new projects in 2026, WebP is supported by all modern browsers (95%+ of traffic) and saves 25–35% over JPG at the same visual quality. AVIF is even more efficient (40–50% smaller) but encoding is slower and Safari support is recent. Use WebP as the default and AVIF as the progressive enhancement via <code><picture></code> with JPG fallback.

GeoTIFF adds geospatial metadata tags to standard TIFF: coordinate systems (lat/lon, UTM), projection info, tie-points mapping pixel coordinates to real-world locations. Standard TIFF is a generic image format. GeoTIFF integrates directly with GIS software (QGIS, ArcGIS) for mapping, satellite imagery, and aerial photography without requiring separate world files.

GeoTIFF adds geospatial metadata tags to padrão TIFF: coordinate systems (lat/lon, UTM), projection info, tie-points mapping pixel coordinates to real-world locations. padrão TIFF is a generic image formato. GeoTIFF integrates directly com GIS software (QGIS, ArcGIS) para mapping, satellite imagery, e aerial photography sem requiring separate world files.

GeoTIFF adds geospatial metadata tags to Standard TIFF: coordinate systems (lat/lon, UTM), projection info, tie-points mapping pixel coordinates to real-world locations. Standard TIFF is a generic image Format. GeoTIFF integrates directly mit GIS Software (QGIS, ArcGIS) für mapping, satellite imagery, und aerial photography ohne requiring separate world files.

GeoTIFF adds geospatial metadata tags to estándar TIFF: coordinate systems (lat/lon, UTM), projection info, tie-points mapping pixel coordinates to real-world locations. estándar TIFF is a generic image formato. GeoTIFF integrates directly con GIS software (QGIS, ArcGIS) para mapping, satellite imagery, y aerial photography sin requiring separate world files.

It depends on the tool: ImageMagick and FFmpeg copy EXIF by default, while cwebp drops it unless you pass <code>-metadata all</code>. KaijuConverter strips metadata server-side after conversion to protect your privacy — if you need to keep camera or GPS data, use a desktop tool you control.

Standard TIFF rarely includes true alpha transparency; it uses color models like RGB, CMYK, Grayscale (1-16 bits per channel). The TIFF spec supports 32-bit RGBA but adoption is low. Use PNG for transparency. TIFF excels in 16-bit grayscale (medical imaging), 8-bit CMYK (print production), and multi-image documents (scanned pages). Professional workflows choose TIFF for color accuracy and metadata, not transparency.

Standard TIFF rarely inclui true alpha transparência; it uses color models like RGB, CMYK, Grayscale (1-16 bits per channel). The TIFF spec suporta 32-bit RGBA mas adoption is baixa. usar PNG para transparência. TIFF excels in 16-bit grayscale (medical imaging), 8-bit CMYK (print production), e multi-image documents (scanned pages). profissional workflows choose TIFF para color accuracy e metadata, not transparência.

Standard TIFF rarely beinhaltet true alpha Transparenz; it uses color models like RGB, CMYK, Grayscale (1-16 bits per channel). The TIFF spec unterstützt 32-bit RGBA aber adoption is niedrig. verwenden PNG für Transparenz. TIFF excels in 16-bit grayscale (medical imaging), 8-bit CMYK (print production), und multi-image documents (scanned pages). professionell workflows choose TIFF für color accuracy und metadata, not Transparenz.

Standard TIFF rarely incluye true alpha transparencia; it uses color models like RGB, CMYK, Grayscale (1-16 bits per channel). The TIFF spec soporta 32-bit RGBA pero adoption is baja. usar PNG para transparencia. TIFF excels in 16-bit grayscale (medical imaging), 8-bit CMYK (print production), y multi-image documents (scanned pages). profesional workflows choose TIFF para color accuracy y metadata, not transparencia.

Three common causes: (1) ICC color profiles dropped during conversion shift colors slightly; (2) chroma subsampling (4:2:0) reduces color accuracy in lossy JPG/WebP; (3) the new format may not support all features of the original (e.g. PNG → JPG drops transparency to white). For pixel-perfect results stick to lossless formats and preserve color profiles explicitly.