What Is the Difference Between .tif and .tiff?
The only difference between the file extensions .tif and .tiff is the way some systems abbreviate the tagged image file format name. The two extensions refer to the exact same type of file and functions provided by this type of file. It is used in regards to photo files that are being saved to a computer or other device.
TIFF files are recommended for use in Photoshop because there is no quality loss between the Photoshop version and the TIFF version. These file types do not compress the work, but they do not support the Photoshop layers function either.
This means that while the file can be very large and can have high detail, the layers will be merged when it is saved. If someone needs to save and keep the layers, then the user should save the file as a Photoshop document and save as a TIF when the image is completed. Another advantage to the TIFF files is that they are supported by numerous programs, even though some web platforms will not display them.
If a photo needs to be printed, then most printing, scanning, faxing and publishing programs recognize the TIFF extension. The TIF extension was created by Adobe and introduced in 1986. It was last updated by the company in 1992 and has had no major revision since, though there are several additional extensions that have been put out for use but have less supported platforms than the base TIF.
