TIFF to PGM Converter

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a flexible raster image format originally developed by Aldus Corporation (later acquired by Adobe) in October 1986 for desktop publishing and scanning applications. The format uses a tagged data structure where the image file header points to one or more Image File Directories (IFDs), each containing a set of tags that describe the image's dimensions, color space, compression, resolution, and other properties. This extensible architecture means TIFF can accommodate virtually any image type: 1-bit bilevel, grayscale, indexed color, RGB, CMYK, CIE L*a*b*, and beyond, at any bit depth from 1 to 64 bits per sample. TIFF supports multiple compression methods including none (uncompressed), LZW, DEFLATE, JPEG, and CCITT Group 3/4 fax compression, as well as multi-page documents, tiled storage for efficient random access to large images, and floating-point pixel values for HDR content. One advantage is professional-grade flexibility — TIFF handles the full range of image types encountered in publishing, prepress, medical imaging, geospatial analysis, and scientific research, where specialized color spaces and high bit depths are required. Lossless archival quality is another core strength: TIFF with no compression or LZW/DEFLATE preserves every pixel value exactly, making it the standard archival format for libraries, museums, and any institution that requires guaranteed long-term image fidelity. TIFF is supported by every major image editing, scanning, and publishing application across all platforms.