TIFF File Format Information

Tagged Image File Format

TIFF, short for Tagged Image File Format, is a widely used raster image format designed for storing high-quality images and scanned documents. TIFF files are commonly used in document archiving, OCR workflows, engineering documentation, professional printing, fax systems and document management solutions. ViewCompanion Pro and Premium can open, view, print, annotate, convert and batch process TIFF and TIF files. The software supports both single-page and multi-page TIFF documents, making it useful for scanned drawings, archive files and technical documentation workflows. What Is a TIFF File? A TIFF file stores image data as pixels. Unlike vector formats such as PDF, DWF, HPGL or CAD drawings, a TIFF file normally contains a raster image. This makes TIFF especially suitable for scanned documents, drawings, maps, faxes and other image-based files.

TIFF is known for preserving image quality. It supports several compression methods, including lossless compression, and can store black-and-white, grayscale and full-color images. TIFF files may also contain metadata and multiple pages inside a single file.

TIFF and TIF File Extensions

The file extensions .tiff and .tif refer to the same file format. The shorter .tif extension became common because older operating systems often used three-letter file extensions.

Today, both extensions are widely supported. ViewCompanion can open files using either extension.

Common Uses of TIFF Files

TIFF Files in Engineering and Document Management

TIFF files are still widely used in engineering, manufacturing and document management environments. Many companies have large archives of scanned drawings, blueprints, forms and technical documents stored as TIFF files.

Because TIFF supports high-resolution images and multi-page files, it is often used when visual accuracy is important. For example, a scanned engineering drawing may be stored as a monochrome TIFF file using CCITT Group 4 compression to reduce file size while preserving sharp line detail.

Open and View TIFF Files with ViewCompanion

ViewCompanion can be used as a TIFF viewer for both regular image files and large technical documents. It can open single-page and multi-page TIFF files, allowing you to inspect, print, annotate and convert the document.

This is useful when working with scanned drawings, archive documents or image-based files that need to be reviewed together with PDF, DWF, HPGL, PLT or other supported formats.

Convert TIFF Files

ViewCompanion can convert TIFF files to several other formats, including PDF and common image formats. TIFF conversion can be useful when documents need to be shared, archived, emailed or prepared for use in another system.

With batch conversion, multiple TIFF files can be processed in one operation. This is especially useful for companies that need to convert large archives of scanned documents or drawings.

Common TIFF conversion workflows include:

TIFF vs PDF vs JPEG

TIFF Compression Methods

TIFF files may use different compression methods depending on the type of image and the intended use. Some TIFF files are uncompressed, while others use compression to reduce file size.

LZW Compression

LZW is a lossless compression method often used for grayscale and color TIFF images. Because it is lossless, the image can be compressed without reducing visual quality.

CCITT Group 3 and Group 4

CCITT compression is commonly used for black-and-white scanned documents, faxes and technical drawings. CCITT Group 4 is especially effective for monochrome line drawings and text documents.

PackBits

PackBits is a simple run-length compression method sometimes used in TIFF files. It is lossless and works best on images with repeated pixel patterns.

Multi-Page TIFF Files

One of the important advantages of TIFF is that a single file can contain multiple pages. This made TIFF a popular format for scanned document systems, fax archives and document management solutions.

ViewCompanion can open and display multi-page TIFF files, making it possible to browse, print and convert the pages in the document.

Supported TIFF Features in ViewCompanion