In this article, I’ll talk about how to open TIF File and what it is. TIF is an abbreviation that stands for Tagged Image File, and it is a format of data storage used primarily for raster graphics images, also known as bitmap images. All raster images are usually made up of numerous rectangular pixels. The pixels fuse together to give the final high-quality image.
The color of each pixel in a raster image determines the bit size of that particular pixel. The bit size of each pixel and the number of pixels that make up an entire image then eventually determine the overall size of a TIF file.
Contents
What is a .TIF File Extension?
The .TIF extension is the extension associated with graphical data stored as Tagged Image Files. The extension enables software programs suitable for opening the raster images to be able to identify and read the TIF files.
TIF files are typically uncompressed images, therefore, storing an image in the TIF file format with the appropriate “.TIF” extension helps prevent any losses in image quality through compression.
How to Open TIF File
You can open the typical TIF file with an array of software programs. The specific program you would need to open a particular TIF file would, however, depend on a variety of factors – the device you are trying to open the file on, and the operating system running on the device.
Open TIF File In Windows PC
On laptops running on Windows Operating Systems, You can open and edit TIF files with the ubiquitous Microsoft Photos application, Microsoft Photos Viewer, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, Corel PaintShop Pro, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Lightroom, and Adobe Illustrator, among a variety of other compatible software programs.
- First of all, Download any of the above-listed software if you don’t have the right software that can open TIF Files.
- Once it finishes download, follow on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
- Now Double-click on TIF File you want to open and it should open directly on supported program.
- In case you see any error, Just right click on TIF file and hover on Open With option and select the software with you want to open. If the software you are looking for is not in the suggestion list, Select Choose Another App option.
- Now you will see almost all of the software available on your PC Windows. Now find and select the software you want to open with.
Open TIF File in Mac, Linux & Other Devices
For computer systems running on Apple’s Mac OS, the Apple Preview application, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Illustrator, and CorelDRAW Graphics Suite are all suitable software applications for opening TIF files.
For Linux computers, a particularly popular program for opening TIF files is the GIMP application. Google Drive is also a suitable web-based opening medium for opening TIF files across a wide variety of devices.
Sometimes TIF format can specially modify to store geospatial image files. Files of this order are ” GeoTIFF images ” and require special software programs across all devices.
GeoTIFF files can open with the Geosoft Oasis Montaj and the ESRI ArcGIS for desktop on Windows systems. Mac systems may use QGIS and ClueTrust Cartographica software. You might need GDAL software to open GeoTIFF files on Mac and Linux systems.
How to Convert TIF Files
Due to the complex and extremely detailed nature of rasterized images, they are usually large. Hence it makes them particularly difficult to send across wireless networks and use on web applications. To compress TIF files for various uses, you need to convert them into a variety of formats.
These include the JPG, GIF, PNG and PDF formats. It is important to note that GeoTIFF files are usually convertible using the same media as regular TIF files.
Using Online Converter
To convert a TIFF file to the JPG format, you can choose to use trusted online converters such as Zamzar. These online converters are quite straightforward and easy to use.
All you have to do is open your desired online converter on a web browser. Upload your TIFF file, select the format you want to convert into (which is the JPG format in this case), and then save your new JPG file.
Converting your TIFF file to another file format usually causes a slight drop in the quality of the image due to the decrease in the number of bits per pixel in the raster image. The new image is however considerably smaller in size and is suitable for transfer across wireless networks and for web-based applications.
Using Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is another good way of converting your TIFF file to your desire format. To convert a TIFF file using Photoshop, simply choose the TIFF file, select ‘Save As’, and then choose your desired file format.
Convert TIFF to PDF
The “.PDF” extension is another popular format that TIFF files usually converts into. You can also convert TIFF files to PDF online using web-based converters. Up to 20 raster images can compress into one PDF file if you’d like to create a PDF album. Online converters are among good options to convert TIF files to the GIF format.
If you would like to keep your raster image as highly defined as possible but are still looking to compress it a bit, then you should consider converting your TIF file into a PNG file. Online converters, Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Paint software are popular ways to convert a TIF file to the PNG format.
F.A.Q
1. How do I open TIF File on PC Windows 10?
To open a TIF file on Microsoft’s Windows 10 Operating System, simply right-click on the TIF file, place the cursor on ‘Open with…’ and then choose the Microsoft Photos Application.
This application is accessible on virtually every system running on Windows 10, and it opens TIFF files conveniently.
2. How to convert TIF to PDF?
To convert a TIFF file to PDF, you can upload the TIFF file to an online converter such as Zamzar or tiff2pdf.com, choose PDF as your preferred format, and then save the new PDF file to your device.
You can also use Adobe Photoshop to convert TIFF file to PDF.
3. How do I open & View TIF files on an Android device?
Several trusted applications can be downloaded from the Google Play Store on your Android device to help you view TIF files. Particularly exceptional apps that serve this purpose include Multi-TIFF Viewer and File Viewer for Android.
4. How do I Open TIF file on an IOS device?
You can achieve this by opening your Files App, clicking on ‘browse,’ and navigating to the location of your TIF file. Opening the file is all you need to view any TIF file on most IOS devices.
The Cimfax TIFF Viewer is one popular app to view TIFF files on IOS devices. Simply download the app, navigate to the location of the TIF file, tap share, and then copy to the TIFF viewer to preview the image.
5. How can I send a TIFF file?
To send a TIFF file using wireless means, say through e-mail, it is usually advisable to convert the TIF file to JPG or PNG first before sending the file. The conversion process helps to compress the file, although image quality is usually slightly reduced.
If the file must be sent in the original TIFF format, however, then software applications such as Dropbox and Google drive may be used to send TIFF files from one computer system to another. It is, however, essential for the recipient to have the necessary software to open the TIFF file.
Conclusion
The TIF file format is a handy format for storing large and extremely detailed raster or bitmap images. The TIF format helps to keep the pixels that make up the image at their original sizes, making the raster images extremely vivid.
However, when sending TIF files over the web or posting them online, it is usually preferable to compress the files by converting them to formats such as JPG, PNG and PDF formats. If the TIF file must be sent in its original form, then it may be sent via Dropbox or Google Drive.