StripByteCounts

StripByteCounts is a TIFF and related file tag that records the size, in bytes, of each strip of image data stored in the file. Implemented as a field with type LONG, it contains one entry per strip in the image. The number of strips is determined by the image height and the RowsPerStrip value.

Each strip’s data starts at the offset given by the corresponding StripOffsets entry. The strip byte count in StripByteCounts[i] specifies how many bytes of data follow at that offset for that strip. The sum of all StripByteCounts values equals the total size of the stored image data (excluding headers and metadata).

If the image is stored in a single strip, StripByteCounts contains a single value equal to the full data size of the image. If compression is used, the counts refer to the length of the compressed strip data, not the uncompressed pixels.

BigTIFF support allows 64-bit offsets and byte counts (LONG8). In classic TIFF, StripOffsets and StripByteCounts use 32-bit values, which can limit maximum image sizes. The values must be consistent with StripOffsets and the number of strips; mismatches may indicate a corrupted file.

Practical notes: When parsing TIFF data, verify that the number of strip byte counts matches the expected number of strips, and that per-strip offsets are within the file’s bounds. Many tools rely on these values to reconstruct image data for display or processing.