Quick Overview
| Feature | TIFF | JPG (JPEG) | PNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless or none | Lossy | Lossless |
| File size (20 MP photo) | ~60 MB | ~3–5 MB | ~15–25 MB |
| Color depth | 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit | 8-bit only | 8-bit, 16-bit |
| Transparency | Yes (alpha channel) | No | Yes (alpha channel) |
| CMYK support | Yes | Yes (limited) | No |
| Multi-page | Yes | No | No (APNG for animation) |
| Layers | Yes | No | No |
| Web use | Not suitable | Ideal for photos | Ideal for graphics |
| Best for | Print, archiving, scanning | Photos, web, sharing | Graphics, screenshots, transparency |
TIFF: The Print and Archiving Standard
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) was created in 1986 for desktop publishing and remains the gold standard for professional printing and image archiving. Its key strengths:
- Lossless quality: TIFF preserves every pixel exactly, whether using LZW compression, ZIP compression, or no compression at all. No data is ever discarded.
- 16-bit and 32-bit color: TIFF supports deep color (16-bit per channel = 65,536 tones vs JPEG's 256). This preserves smooth gradients and subtle color variations critical for photo editing and printing.
- CMYK color space: TIFF natively supports CMYK, the color model used by commercial printers. This makes it the standard delivery format for offset printing.
- Multi-page documents: A single TIFF file can contain multiple pages, making it common for scanned documents, faxes, and medical imaging.
The tradeoff is file size. An uncompressed 20-megapixel TIFF is approximately 60 MB — impractical for web use, email, or social media.
JPG: The Universal Photo Format
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) was designed in 1992 specifically for photographs. It uses lossy compression based on the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) to discard visual information that the human eye is least sensitive to.
- Extremely small files: A 20-megapixel photo at quality 85 is about 3–5 MB — roughly 12–20× smaller than the same image in TIFF.
- Universal compatibility: JPEG is supported by every device, browser, application, and social media platform on the planet. It is the default format for digital cameras, smartphones, and web images.
- Adjustable quality: JPEG quality ranges from 1 (smallest, worst) to 100 (largest, best). Quality 85–92 is typically indistinguishable from the original for most photographs.
The tradeoff is quality loss. Each time a JPEG is edited and re-saved, additional data is discarded (generation loss). JPEG also does not support transparency or 16-bit color.
PNG: Lossless Graphics and Transparency
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) was created in 1996 as a patent-free replacement for GIF. It uses lossless compression (Deflate algorithm) and is the standard format for graphics, screenshots, and images requiring transparency.
- Lossless compression: PNG preserves every pixel exactly, like TIFF, but with better compression for graphics (solid colors, text, sharp edges).
- Alpha transparency: PNG supports a full 8-bit alpha channel with 256 levels of transparency per pixel. This makes it ideal for logos, icons, overlays, and UI elements.
- 16-bit color: PNG supports 16-bit per channel (48-bit color), matching TIFF's deep color capability.
For photographs, PNG files are much larger than JPEG (5–8×) with no visible quality advantage. PNG compression works best on images with large areas of solid color, not the complex gradients typical of photographs.
File Size Comparison
| Image Type | TIFF (LZW) | PNG | JPG (Q90) | JPG (Q80) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 MP photo | ~45 MB | ~20 MB | ~5 MB | ~3 MB |
| 1080p screenshot | ~3 MB | ~1.5 MB | ~300 KB | ~200 KB |
| Logo (500x500) | ~200 KB | ~50 KB | ~30 KB | ~20 KB |
| Scanned document | ~8 MB | ~4 MB | ~500 KB | ~300 KB |
When to Use Each Format
Use TIFF when:
- Sending files to a professional print shop (posters, banners, magazines)
- Archiving original photographs or scanned documents
- Working with 16-bit color depth or CMYK color space
- Storing multi-page scanned documents
- Preserving maximum image data for future editing
Use JPG when:
- Sharing photos via email, messaging, or social media
- Displaying photographs on websites (faster loading)
- Storing large numbers of photos on limited storage
- Uploading to platforms that require JPEG (most social media)
- Any situation where file size matters more than pixel-perfect quality
Use PNG when:
- Images need transparency (logos, icons, overlays)
- Screenshots and images with text or sharp edges
- Graphics with large areas of solid color
- Web graphics where lossless quality is required
- UI elements, diagrams, charts, and illustrations
Simple rule: TIFF for print and archiving, JPG for photos and sharing, PNG for graphics and transparency. When in doubt between JPG and PNG for a photo, choose JPG — the file will be 5–10× smaller with no visible quality difference.
Converting Between Formats
Not all conversions are equal:
- TIFF → JPG: Lossy conversion. File shrinks dramatically (10–20×). Some quality is lost, but at quality 90+ it is usually invisible for photographs. This is the most common conversion for moving print files to web.
- TIFF → PNG: Lossless conversion. Both formats are lossless, so no quality is lost. File size depends on image content — PNG may be smaller or larger than TIFF LZW.
- JPG → TIFF: No quality improvement. The JPEG compression already discarded data permanently. The file gets larger but the image quality stays the same. Useful only if software requires TIFF input.
- PNG → JPG: Lossy conversion. Transparency is lost (replaced with white or another background color). File shrinks significantly for photographs.