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How to open TIFF files and convert scans to JPG

Last updated: 4 November 2026

Scanners, fax software, document archives and professional cameras love TIFF. Everyone else has trouble with it: browsers do not display it, phones often show only a blank icon, and upload forms reject it. If you have received a .tif or .tiff file and just want to look at it or pass it on, here is what you need to know.

What a TIFF file is

TIFF stands for Tagged Image File Format. It dates from 1986 and was built for scanning and printing, where quality matters more than size. Three properties explain both its popularity and its problems:

  • Lossless and large. Most TIFFs are uncompressed or use lossless compression, so a single A4 scan can easily be 20–50 MB.
  • Many pages in one file. A TIFF can hold several pages, which is why multi-page scans and received faxes often arrive as one .tif.
  • Lots of variants. TIFF allows many compression methods and colour types, from black-and-white fax images to CMYK print files. Not every program understands all of them.

.tif and .tiff are two spellings of the same format; there is no difference.

Opening a TIFF file

  • Windows: the Photos app opens most TIFFs. For multi-page files, check whether you can scroll to the other pages.
  • Mac: Preview opens TIFF, including multi-page files, which appear as thumbnails in the sidebar.
  • Browsers: Chrome, Edge and Firefox do not display TIFF; Safari does.
  • Phones: support depends on the app. The iPhone Files app usually shows TIFFs; on Android many gallery apps do not.

Converting TIFF to JPG

To share, upload or send a scan, convert it to JPG. With the TIFF to JPG converter:

  1. Add your .tif or .tiff files with Choose files or drag them in.
  2. Keep the default JPG quality or lower it for smaller files.
  3. Download each JPG, or click Download all (ZIP). A multi-page TIFF gives one JPG per page, numbered in order.

The converter reads TIFF with an open-source decoder that runs in your browser. It handles uncompressed files as well as LZW, Deflate, PackBits, JPEG and CCITT fax compression, in black and white, greyscale, colour and CMYK. Because nothing is uploaded, it is suitable for ID scans, contracts and other private documents.

Expect a big drop in size: a JPG 10 to 30 times smaller than the TIFF is normal, and for reading or printing a document the difference is not visible.

Turning a multi-page scan into a PDF

For documents, a PDF is often more useful than a pile of JPGs, because it keeps the pages together in order. Convert the TIFF to JPG first, then add the page images to JPG to PDF, check the order and create the PDF. Choose A4 or Letter as the page size if the document might be printed. The guide on combining photos into one PDF has more tips on page size and file size.

Should you keep the TIFF?

If it is an archive scan, a photo for professional printing, or something you will edit again, keep the original TIFF: it is lossless, and every JPG copy loses a little detail. For everyday sharing, the JPG or PDF copy is the better file to send.

Tools used in this guide

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