How to convert BMP to TIFF online
- 1
Drop your BMP file
Drag and drop your Bitmap Image File file onto the converter, or click to browse your files. You can select up to 5 at once. Nothing leaves your device — conversion happens right here in the browser.
- 2
Hit Convert — it happens locally
Click Convert and watch it go. There's no upload, no server queue, no waiting. The converter runs Bitmap Image File → Tagged Image File Format entirely in your browser tab. Most files finish in 1–3 seconds.
- 3
Download your TIFF
Your Tagged Image File Format file is ready. Click Download, or grab a ZIP if you converted a batch. Close the tab and everything disappears — no copies kept anywhere.
BMP vs TIFF: format overview
Bitmap Image File
Microsoft · 1987
- Compression
- none
- Transparency
- No
- ✓ No compression — original pixel data preserved
- ✓ Universal Windows support
- ✗ No compression = massive files
Tagged Image File Format
Aldus Corporation · 1986
- Compression
- lossless
- Color depth
- 32-bit
- Transparency
- Yes
- ✓ Preserves maximum quality for archiving
- ✓ Supports multiple layers and pages
BMP magic bytes: 42 4D
TIFF magic bytes: 49 49 2A 00 (little-endian) / 4D 4D 00 2A (big-endian)
Why convert BMP to TIFF?
BMP and TIFF are both uncompressed or lightly compressed formats, but they serve different environments. BMP is the native Windows format, primarily used by Windows applications. TIFF is the professional standard used by print production, scientific imaging, document management systems, and archival workflows — and it's supported on Windows, macOS, and Linux alike.
If BMP files need to enter a print workflow, a TIFF is what InDesign, QuarkXPress, and professional print RIP software expect. Scientific labs that output image data to BMP (a common output from microscopy and industrial imaging equipment) often need to convert to TIFF before submitting images to journals or databases. Archival systems at libraries, museums, and government agencies mandate TIFF for long-term storage because of its standardization and metadata support.
Because BMP is uncompressed, the conversion to TIFF is lossless — every pixel is preserved exactly. TIFF with LZW or ZIP compression will often be smaller than the equivalent BMP, making the conversion a win both for compatibility and storage efficiency. TIFF also supports multi-page documents, 16-bit color depth, and embedded ICC color profiles — capabilities BMP lacks entirely. If you're archiving or publishing BMP images, TIFF is a strict upgrade.
Quality & file size: BMP to TIFF
Typical file sizes: BMP 35–40 MB → TIFF 20–70 MB.
Both BMP and TIFF use lossy compression. We transcode at high quality settings (equivalent to TIFF's recommended web quality) to minimize generational loss.
Color depth: BMP supports standard color, TIFF supports 32-bit.
Transparency: BMP does not support transparency. TIFF preserves transparency.
Frequently asked questions
Privacy: how FormatDrop handles your files
Your BMPfiles are converted 100% inside your browser. They are never uploaded to our servers, never stored, and never seen by anyone other than you. This isn't a privacy policy claim — it's an architectural guarantee: our server has no endpoint that receives file bytes.