TIFF

TIFF, or Tagged Image File Format, is a flexible raster graphics container designed for high-quality image storage. It was developed by Aldus Corporation in the 1980s for scanning and desktop publishing, with the format later adopted as a standard by Adobe Systems. TIFF is used in professional imaging and archival contexts due to its support for multiple images in a single file, extensive metadata, and a range of lossless compression schemes.

TIFF files consist of Image File Directories (IFDs) that describe image data through a set of tagged fields. Each tag encodes information such as image width, height, bit depth, color model, compression, and software history. A TIFF file can contain multiple images (multi-page TIFF) and can store images as strips or tiles, enabling efficient access in large datasets. The format supports a variety of color spaces (grayscale, RGB, CMYK, palette-based) and bit depths up to 32 bits per sample, as well as transparency channels in some configurations.

Common compression methods include lossless LZW, Deflate (ZIP), CCITT Group 4 for bilevel images, and lossy JPEG in certain TIFF variants. The BigTIFF extension increases the file size limit beyond 4 GB, allowing very large imagery and datasets.

TIFF remains popular in digital photography archiving, print production, GIS, and medical imaging. It is widely supported across operating systems and software but is less suitable for web use due to inconsistent browser support. As with any flexible format, correct handling of metadata and robust parsers are important to ensure interoperability and security.