Convert TIFF to PDF

Convert TIFF to PDF

A TIFF is a container, not a single picture. One file can hold a single scan or dozens of frames stacked inside it, which is why a 12-page contract often arrives as one .tif that most browsers simply refuse to open. Converting TIFF to PDF unpacks that container into a document anyone can read.

After you upload, each frame is read in order, the DPI value stored in the image header is used to work out the real physical size of the page, and every frame is drawn onto its own PDF page, centered, with the original aspect ratio kept. This runs server-side on loopdf's EU infrastructure, because multi-frame and DPI handling cannot be done reliably inside a browser. The upload is processed in memory and deleted once the PDF is built.

TIFF vs PDF: What Actually Changes

Both formats can hold multiple pages, so the difference is less about capacity and more about who can open the file and what they can do with it.

How To Convert TIFF to PDF in Four Steps

1. Open the tool page and upload a .tiff or .tif file, up to 50 MB.
2. Pick a page orientation: Portrait, Landscape, or Auto.
3. Pick a page size: A4, Letter, Legal, or Auto.
4. Click "Convert to PDF", then download the finished document. A multi-frame source produces a multi-page PDF in the same order.

Choosing Page Size and Orientation for TIF to PDF Output

The two settings decide the paper the image is placed on, not the image itself. The picture is never stretched, it is scaled to fit and centered.

• Auto page size: the DPI stored in the file is divided into the pixel dimensions, so a 2480 x 3508 scan at 300 DPI lands as an A4-sized page. Best for scans that came straight from a scanner.
• A4, Letter or Legal: forces a standard sheet, which is what you want when the PDF will be printed or filed alongside other documents.
• Auto orientation: compares width and height per frame, useful for mixed batches where some scans are sideways.
• Portrait or Landscape: applies the same orientation to every page of the output.

When Turning a TIFF Into a PDF Makes Sense

• A scanner, fax gateway or document camera handed you a multi-page .tif that colleagues cannot open.
• You need to email or upload a portal submission that only accepts PDF.
• You want to keep page order intact instead of sending a folder of loose images.
• The file is going into an archive where fixed page size matters more than raw image data.
• You plan to annotate, sign or combine the pages afterwards with other PDF tools .

TIFF Conversion vs Other Image to PDF Tools

Most image converters on loopdf run entirely in your browser. TIFF is the exception, and there are concrete reasons for that:

• Multi-frame reading: browsers decode the first frame of a TIFF at best, so page two onwards would be silently dropped.
• Compression variety: TIFF files use LZW, Deflate, packbits or CCITT Group 4 fax encoding, which need proper decoding rather than a canvas element.
• DPI metadata: resolution tags are read from the header and applied to page sizing.
• Predictable output: frames render at the same quality regardless of which browser you use.

If your source is a regular photo or graphic, use JPG to PDF or Images to PDF instead, since those handle mixed batches in one go.

FAQ

{"faq_items":[{"question":"What is the TIFF File Format?","answer":"TIFF stands for Tagged Image File Format. It stores raster image data along with tags describing resolution, colour space, compression method and frame count. Because the tag system is flexible, one TIFF can hold many frames in a single file. Scanners, fax systems and print workflows use it heavily since it supports lossless compression and high bit depths."},{"question":"Does a multi-page TIFF stay multi-page in the PDF?","answer":"Yes. The converter walks through every frame in the container and writes each one as a separate PDF page, in the original order. A 20-frame scan becomes a 20-page document. Nothing is merged onto one sheet and nothing is skipped, which is the main reason this conversion is handled on the server rather than in the browser."},{"question":"Why does this conversion run on a server?","answer":"Browsers have no complete TIFF decoder. They cannot reliably read multiple frames, uncommon compression schemes such as CCITT Group 4, or the DPI tags needed to size pages correctly. Processing on loopdf's EU infrastructure gives the same result for every visitor. The uploaded file is handled in memory and removed automatically once the PDF has been generated."},{"question":"What is the file size limit?","answer":"Each upload can be up to 50 MB. Uncompressed colour scans reach that quickly, so if your file is larger, re-save it from your scanner software with LZW or Deflate compression, or split the scan into two batches and join the outputs afterwards with the Merge PDF tool."},{"question":"Does the conversion reduce image quality?","answer":"The pixel data from each frame is placed on the page at its native resolution and scaled only to fit the chosen sheet, with the aspect ratio preserved. No cropping or stretching happens. What you see on screen depends on the DPI of the original scan, so a 150 DPI fax will look like a 150 DPI fax inside the PDF."},{"question":"Can I upload .tif as well as .tiff?","answer":"Both extensions are accepted and treated identically. The three-letter .tif form is a leftover from older operating systems that limited extensions to three characters, while .tiff is the same format written out in full. The converter reads the file header rather than trusting the name, so either works."},{"question":"Will the text in my scan be searchable?","answer":"No. A scan is pixels, and the conversion places those pixels on a page without interpreting them, so the PDF contains images rather than characters. To add a searchable text layer, run the finished document through the OCR PDF tool, which recognises the characters and stores them invisibly behind the image."},{"question":"How does this differ from the JPG to PDF tool?","answer":"The JPG tool decodes a single lossy image in your browser and writes one page per file you add. This one decodes a container that may hold many frames with lossless compression, reads the DPI tags, and builds one page per frame on the server. Same end result, very different work on the file itself."},{"question":"Can I combine several TIFF files into one PDF?","answer":"Convert each file on its own, then join the resulting documents with Merge PDF. Keeping the steps separate means you can set a different page size or orientation per scan, and you can reorder or remove pages afterwards with the Organize PDF tool before the final merge."},{"question":"Why is my PDF bigger than the original file?","answer":"TIFF often uses compression tuned for bitonal scans, such as Group 4 fax encoding, which is extremely efficient for black and white pages. Once the frames are re-encoded for a PDF page, that advantage can shrink. If the output is heavier than you want, run it through the Compress PDF tool to bring the size down."},{"question":"Which page size should I choose?","answer":"Pick Auto when the scan came from a flatbed or document scanner, since the DPI tag then decides the page dimensions and the result matches the paper that was scanned. Pick A4, Letter or Legal when the document has to print on a specific sheet or sit in a file with other standard-size pages."},{"question":"Do I need an account to use the converter?","answer":"No sign-up, no installation. Open the page, upload the image, choose the two page settings and download the result. Nothing about your file is stored after the PDF is delivered, and no account is created in the background."}],"howto":{"applicable":true,"name":"How To Convert TIFF to PDF Online","