How to Convert PNG to TIFF: From Screen to Print

You designed a logo in PNG. Now the print shop needs TIFF. Or you created a chart for a report and the publisher wants TIFF format. This happens all the time.

PNG and TIFF are both lossless formats, so the conversion is clean. No quality lost. No detail removed. But there are a few things worth knowing before you convert.

Why Would a Print Shop Ask for TIFF?

Print shops have standardized on TIFF for good reasons.

It's been the standard for decades. Every print tool, RIP software, and prepress workflow supports TIFF. Print shops have built their entire pipeline around it. Asking them to accept PNG is like asking a bank to accept payment in seashells. They can probably do it, but why make things complicated?

TIFF supports CMYK color. Printers use cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink. TIFF can store images in CMYK color space. PNG can only store RGB (red, green, blue), which is what screens use. While most shops do the conversion themselves, some prefer receiving CMYK files that are ready to go.

TIFF handles high bit depth. TIFF supports 16-bit and even 32-bit per channel. This gives more color precision, which can matter for fine art prints and high-end photography. PNG supports up to 16-bit, but TIFF's implementation is more widely supported in print tools.

It's a known quantity. When a printer opens a TIFF file, they know exactly what they're getting. There are no surprises, no compatibility issues, no format quirks. It just works.

Does PNG to TIFF Conversion Lose Any Quality?

No. This is one of the cleanest conversions you can make.

PNG is lossless. TIFF is lossless. Converting between two lossless formats means zero quality loss. Every pixel in your PNG file will be identical in the TIFF file.

This is different from converting JPG to TIFF, where the JPG compression artifacts get locked into the TIFF. With PNG as your source, you're starting from perfect quality and keeping it perfect.

If your original image was created from a JPG (like a screenshot of a JPG), those compression artifacts are already in the PNG. Converting to TIFF won't remove them. But it won't add any new ones either.

How Do You Convert PNG to TIFF?

ConvertIMG converts PNG to TIFF right in your browser. Drop your files in, choose TIFF, and download. The conversion runs locally on your device. Nothing is uploaded to any server.

The process works for single files and batches. If you have a folder of PNG graphics that all need to be TIFF, drop them all in at once.

Since both formats are lossless, you'll want to use the highest quality setting. There's no reason to compress further when you're going from one lossless format to another.

File size expectations:

A PNG file and its equivalent TIFF file are often similar in size. Both use lossless compression. TIFF files can be slightly larger or slightly smaller depending on the specific compression algorithm used.

Uncompressed TIFF is always larger. A 500 KB PNG might become a 5 MB uncompressed TIFF. Use LZW compression in TIFF to keep sizes reasonable. LZW is lossless, so there's no quality penalty.

What About Transparency?

PNG's transparency carries over to TIFF. If your logo has a transparent background, that background stays transparent in the TIFF file.

However, check with your print shop about transparency. Print doesn't have "transparency" the way screens do. Ink goes on paper, and paper is opaque. Your transparent areas need to be handled by the print layout software (like InDesign or Illustrator).

Most print shops handle this fine. But if your transparent PNG logo is meant to sit on top of a colored background in print, make sure the designer or print shop knows that the TIFF has an alpha channel. Some print workflows flatten transparency in unexpected ways.

If your print job requires a solid background, add it before converting. Place your PNG on the correct background color in an image editor, flatten, then convert to TIFF. This removes any ambiguity.

When Is PNG Better Than TIFF?

TIFF is the print standard, but PNG has its own strengths.

PNG for web. PNG files display in every browser. TIFF files don't display in any browser. For websites, PNG is the obvious choice.

PNG for sharing. Most people can open a PNG file. TIFF support on consumer devices is spotty. Windows can display TIFF, but not all phones or tablets can. PNG works on everything.

PNG for smaller file sizes. PNG's compression is often more efficient than TIFF's compression for web graphics. A simple logo or icon may be smaller as PNG than as TIFF.

TIFF for print. This is where TIFF wins. Print workflows are built for TIFF. If your image is heading to a printer, use TIFF.

TIFF for multi-page documents. TIFF supports multiple pages in a single file. This is useful for scanned documents. PNG doesn't have this feature.

TIFF for archival. Long-term archives often prefer TIFF because of its deep history and stability as a format. PNG is also stable, but TIFF has a longer track record in professional archiving.

What Common Mistakes Should You Avoid?

A few things can trip you up when converting PNG to TIFF for print.

Forgetting about resolution. Screen graphics are typically 72 DPI. Print needs 300 DPI. If your PNG was designed for screen use, it might not have enough pixels for a good print. A 1000 x 1000 pixel image at 300 DPI is only about 3.3 x 3.3 inches. Make sure your source image is large enough for the intended print size.

Ignoring color space. Your PNG is in RGB. Printers use CMYK. Colors will shift when the printer converts. Bright greens and vivid blues are especially prone to looking duller in CMYK. If color accuracy matters, ask the print shop how they handle the conversion.

Sending uncompressed files. Uncompressed TIFF files can be huge. A full-page 300 DPI image might be 25-50 MB uncompressed. Use LZW compression to cut the size without losing quality. Most print shops accept LZW-compressed TIFF.

Not keeping your PNG originals. After converting to TIFF, keep your PNG files. They're your working copies for screen use. If you need to make edits later, work from the PNG and convert to TIFF again.

For a broader view of image formats and when each one is the right choice, read our complete image format guide.

Ready to Convert PNG to TIFF?

Need print-ready TIFF files from your PNGs? ConvertIMG handles the conversion in seconds. Lossless quality, batch support, no uploads. Try it free in your browser.