Convert TIFF to GIF
Output is typically about 85% smaller.
- Files stay on your device
- Free, no sign-up
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Will converting TIFF to GIF make the file smaller?
Usually, yes. A 12-megapixel photo is around 36 MB as TIFF and around 5.5 MB as GIF — about 85% smaller. Because GIF is lossless the result depends entirely on the image content — flat colour and text compress far better than photographic detail.
Does converting TIFF to GIF lose quality?
No. GIF is lossless, so every pixel decoded from your TIFF file is stored exactly. Both formats are lossless, so the conversion is pixel-for-pixel identical.
Is transparency preserved when converting TIFF to GIF?
Yes. Both TIFF and GIF support an alpha channel, so transparent and semi-transparent pixels carry across unchanged — a logo with a cut-out background stays cut out, and soft drop shadows keep their gradient rather than picking up a white halo. Because GIF is lossless, the alpha channel is stored exactly as it was.
Why won't my browser display a TIFF?
No major browser supports TIFF — it was designed for print and archival workflows, not the web, and its many optional variants make it awkward to implement. Scanners and professional cameras still produce them, which is why conversion is usually the fastest route. Note that a multi-page TIFF holds several images; only the first page is converted here.
How many colours will the GIF have?
Up to 256, chosen from your image. The encoder builds a palette that fits the picture rather than using a fixed one, which is the best GIF can do — but a photograph contains far more than 256 colours, so skies and skin tones will show visible banding. Fully transparent pixels are preserved as GIF's single transparent index; partial transparency cannot be, because the format has no alpha channel, only on or off.
How it works, and more about tiff to gif
How it works
- Add your TIFF file. Drag a TIFF file onto the drop zone, or click to browse. You can select several at once.
- Choose your settings. GIF is lossless, so there is nothing to configure — the output matches the input pixel for pixel.
- Download the GIF. Conversion runs on your device as soon as each file is added — no upload, no queue. Download each result when it is ready.
TIFF and GIF side by side
| TIFF | GIF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tagged Image File Format | Graphics Interchange Format |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes — alpha channel | Yes — alpha channel |
| Animation | No | Yes, in the format |
| Browser support | None — no major browser can display TIFF | Universal — every browser since 1987 |
| Typical 12 MP photo | ~36 MB | ~5.5 MB |
| Usually used for | Professional print, document scanning and long-term archives | Short looping animations, reaction clips and email-safe motion |
On a typical 12-megapixel phone photo, the GIF output comes out about 85% smaller than the TIFF original. These are order-of-magnitude figures for one kind of image — your own results will vary a great deal, because flat colour, text and line art behave nothing like photographic detail.
What this tool actually produces
Not estimates. Each row below was produced by running the file through this page in a real browser and measuring the result, at the default quality of 82.
| Test image | TIFF in | GIF out | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth gradient 1600 × 1200, broad tonal transitions — where banding and blocking show | 5.5 MB | 367 KB | -93% |
| UI screenshot 1440 × 900, dense text on flat panels — the hardest case for JPEG | 3.7 MB | 38 KB | -99% |
| Line-art diagram 1200 × 800, hard edges and large flat areas | 3.7 MB | 10 KB | -100% |
Every test image got smaller, though by very different margins — flat colour and text behave nothing like photographic detail, so treat the closest row to your own content as the useful one. Measured in Chrome 150.0.7871.46; other browsers encode slightly differently.
What to watch out for
- Maximum 256 colours per frame — photos look visibly posterised
- Binary transparency only, producing jagged edges
- Enormous files compared with WebP or MP4 for the same animation
About the two formats
TIFF is the archival and print standard: lossless, capable of 16 bits per channel, CMYK colour and multiple pages in a single file. It is also completely unsupported by web browsers, which is the usual reason people need to convert one — a scanner or a printer handed them a TIFF and nothing will open it.
GIF survives entirely on momentum. It is capped at 256 colours per frame, has only on/off transparency, and produces files several times larger than a modern video or WebP animation of the same clip. It remains useful only because it autoplays and loops in places that block video, such as some email clients and chat apps.
Other conversions
Everything runs on your device — nothing is uploaded, so there is no size limit, no queue and no copy left on a server afterwards. There is more on how browser-based conversion works if you want the detail. Otherwise, browse every image tool.