TIFF is a high-quality format used for scans, print and photo archives. Browsers can't display it directly, so converting is needed to use or share it on the web.
JPG is the most widely used lossy format for photos. When you convert TIFF to JPG, you can open it in more places, the file gets smaller and a solid background replaces transparency. See the comparison below for what changes.
This converter reads the file itself to confirm it is TIFF, then converts it to JPG right in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
TIFF vs JPG: what's the difference?
| Item | TIFF | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossy |
| Transparent background | Yes | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Introduced | 1986 | 1992 |
| Support in programs and upload forms | limited | nearly everywhere |
| Shown directly in browsers | No | Yes |
| Photo file size (JPG = 1) | about 6× | baseline (1×) |
What is TIFF?
TIFF has long been used for scanners, publishing and print, and for archiving original photos. It is a flexible container that supports lossless compression as well as several other compression methods and high bit depths.
What is JPG?
JPG (JPEG) is a lossy format standardized in 1992. It drops information the human eye is less sensitive to, making photos very small. It is the format cameras and smartphones save by default, so it is the one you meet most often.
What changes when you convert TIFF to JPG
Transparent areas are filled with the background color you choose
JPG can't represent transparency. Transparent and semi-transparent areas are composited onto the background color in the options (white by default), so pick a matching color first if the image will be used on a dark screen.
Lossy compression is applied
TIFF loses no quality, but JPG drops information the eye barely notices to shrink the file. Even next to the TIFF original, the default quality of 90 is hard to tell apart, and the slider lets you tune size against quality.
Multi-page TIFFs convert only the first page
A TIFF can hold several pages in one file. This converter turns the first page into an image.
You can adjust quality, size and background color
When converting TIFF to JPG, you can use the quality slider (default 90), exact width-and-height sizing with margin fill, and percentage resizing. TIFF is lossless, so lowering quality to around 80 usually still looks natural. Lower it when size matters, and raise it to 95 or more for archiving.
How the file size changes
JPG is far smaller than TIFF (roughly 1/6 the size). This is for photos; for simple images such as logos and screenshots, PNG can actually come out smaller.
JPG opens in more places
Support for TIFF in programs, document tools and upload forms is limited, while JPG is nearly everywhere. If you need to upload somewhere TIFF wouldn't open, try again after converting.
When to convert
- You need to upload to a program, messenger or upload form that can't open TIFF
- You want to use it on a website or blog but browsers can't display TIFF
- You need to shrink a TIFF file for an email attachment or an upload size limit
- You're submitting to a place that doesn't need transparency (print, certificates, a product's main image) with a white background
- You need to share a scanned or print-ready TIFF on the web or by messenger
TIFF → JPG: practical tips
TIFFs from scanners are very large. As JPG they often shrink to a tenth or less, depending on the scan resolution, which makes email attachments and uploads easy.
Multi-page TIFFs convert only the first page. To split a multi-page document into images, use files separated per page.