FormatDrop
How-To Guide

How to Convert JPG to TIFF

TIFF is the standard format for professional print, archiving, and high-end retouching. Some print services, stock photo agencies, and publishing workflows require TIFF over JPG. Converting JPG to TIFF is straightforward — but understand that it doesn't recover quality lost during JPG compression.

Open JPG to TIFF Converter

Step-by-step instructions

  1. 1

    Convert on Mac with Preview

    Open the JPG in Preview. Go to File → Export. Choose TIFF from the Format dropdown. Optionally select compression type (None, LZW, or ZIP — all lossless within the TIFF). Click Save. The resulting TIFF is lossless but will be 5–10 times larger than the JPG source.

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  2. 2

    Convert on Windows with Paint or IrfanView

    Open the JPG in Paint. File → Save As → Other Formats. In the Save as type dropdown, choose TIFF. Click Save. Alternatively, use IrfanView (free, more format options): open the JPG, then File → Save As → TIF/TIFF. IrfanView lets you choose LZW compression for smaller TIFF files.

  3. 3

    Convert via command line

    FFmpeg: `ffmpeg -i input.jpg output.tiff`. ImageMagick: `convert input.jpg output.tiff` or with LZW compression: `convert input.jpg -compress LZW output.tiff`. For batch: `mogrify -format tiff *.jpg`. These tools are available on Mac, Windows, and Linux.

  4. 4

    Understanding the limitations

    Converting JPG to TIFF does NOT restore quality — the JPG compression artefacts are baked in. The TIFF will be lossless from this point forward, meaning no further quality loss during editing. The main reason to convert JPG to TIFF: to edit it extensively without accumulating additional compression damage each time you save.

Why convert JPG to TIFF?

Converting JPG to TIFF is the standard workflow step when you need to do extensive retouching, combine files for print, or meet requirements from a print service or publisher that mandates TIFF delivery.

Your files never leave your device

FormatDrop runs the conversion engine entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly. No file upload. No server. Nothing stored. You can verify this by opening DevTools → Network tab and watching: zero upload requests.

Frequently asked questions

Does converting JPG to TIFF improve quality?
No. The quality of the TIFF is limited by the quality of the JPG source. JPG compression damage (blurring, blocking, colour shifts) is preserved in the TIFF. The benefit of converting JPG to TIFF is preventing further quality loss during editing — each edit-and-save cycle of a JPG adds more damage; TIFF stops that cycle.
Why would a print shop require TIFF instead of JPG?
Print workflows use TIFF because it's lossless, supports CMYK colour space, preserves layers, and handles high bit-depth (16-bit per channel). JPG doesn't support CMYK natively and introduces compression artefacts that can be visible at print resolutions. However, many modern print services accept high-quality JPG without issues.
What compression should I use for the output TIFF?
LZW compression is the standard choice — it's lossless and reduces TIFF file size by 30–50% without any quality loss. ZIP compression is also lossless and slightly more efficient than LZW. Uncompressed creates the largest files. Never use JPEG compression inside a TIFF — that's lossy and defeats the purpose of using TIFF.
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