Is there any quality loss when converting TIFF to PNG?

In terms of pixel data, no. Because both formats work losslessly, the image's colour values are preserved exactly; there is no discarding or artefact formation as there is with JPG. But being lossless does not mean everything is preserved: only a single page comes out of a multi-page TIFF, the CMYK colour space is converted to RGB, and in some workflows 16-bit colour depth is reduced to 8 bits. So the loss stems not from compression but from the difference in capability between the formats.

Is the transparency in my TIFF preserved in PNG?

Yes, PNG fully supports the alpha channel and the transparency information in the TIFF is preserved during conversion. This is the feature that makes PNG decisively superior to JPG in this scenario, because JPG does not support transparency at all and fills transparent areas with a solid colour. If you are working with a product image with the background removed, a logo or a cut-out, PNG is the right destination. Partial transparency, that is soft edge transitions, is preserved in exactly the same way.

Why didn't my PNG file come out much smaller than the TIFF?

Because PNG is also a lossless format and merely encodes the data more efficiently without discarding any of it. With photographic content — images containing continuous colour transitions and natural texture — there is limited ground for lossless compression to gain. By contrast, with graphics containing flat colour areas, sharp edges and few colours, PNG delivers a very substantial reduction. If your file is still very large and the content is photographic, you may need to consider a lossy format, that is JPG.

If I convert a multi-page TIFF to PNG, do all the pages come through?

PNG is a single-image format, so it cannot hold more than one page in a single file. When a multi-page TIFF is converted, either only the first page is taken or each page is produced as a separate PNG file. If you are working with a scanned contract or book chapter, be sure to check the number of files in the output. If the pages need to stay whole in a single document, converting to PDF rather than PNG is the more appropriate choice.

How Do You Convert a TIFF File to PNG Format?

Why PNG?

When you need to convert a TIFF, the destination that first comes to mind is usually JPG, because it is small and opens everywhere. But that is not the right choice for every job. If your TIFF has transparent areas, if the content is a sharp-edged graphic, or if the pixel data needs to stay undamaged, PNG is a noticeably more suitable destination.

PNG has two fundamental advantages in this scenario: it works losslessly and it supports the alpha channel. Because TIFF is also lossless, this conversion is a safe transition as far as the data is concerned — there is no irreversible discarding as there is when converting to JPG.

In this guide we explain how to do the conversion and what to watch out for.

Before converting: what is preserved and what is not?

The phrase "a lossless-to-lossless transition" sounds as though nothing at all is lost, but that is not quite accurate. The pixel data is preserved; TIFF's format-specific capabilities are not.

Preserved:

Pixel colour values, exactly
Transparency (alpha channel)
The image's resolution and dimensions

Not preserved:

Multi-page support. PNG holds a single image. A multi-page TIFF is either reduced to its first page or produces one PNG per page.
CMYK colour space. PNG works only with RGB. When a CMYK TIFF prepared for print is converted, a colour conversion takes place and a shift can occur, especially in saturated tones.
16-bit colour depth. PNG technically supports 16 bits, but in a great many workflows the output drops to 8 bits.
Layers and some embedded metadata.

That is why PNG cannot fully take TIFF's place as an archival format. Treat the conversion as an operation that produces a usable copy, and keep the original TIFF.

Step-by-step conversion

1. Identify the type of your content

This matters for setting your file size expectations correctly. PNG's lossless compression gives very different results depending on the content type:

Flat colour areas, sharp edges, logos, drawings, screenshots, black-and-white text scans: PNG works very efficiently here. The file shrinks considerably compared with the TIFF.
Photographs, scans with paper texture, greyscale shading: the ground PNG can gain is limited. The file gets smaller, but not as much as you expect, and stays far above the sizes JPG reaches.

If your content falls into the second group and size is critical for you, it may make sense to consider converting the TIFF to JPG.

2. Check the page count

TIFF can be multi-page. If you are working with a scanned document, know how many pages the file contains. In the PNG output you will either see a single page or one file per page. Set your expectations accordingly; if the pages need to stay together, PNG is not the right destination — think about PDF.

3. Upload the file

Drag and drop your .tif or .tiff file onto our TIFF to PNG conversion tool. There is no technical difference at all between the two extensions; it is a duplication left over from old Windows' three-letter extension limit.

4. Check the result

Open the PNG you downloaded and look at these three things:

Is the transparency correct? Make sure the transparent areas came out as you expected. If your viewer's background is white it can be hard to distinguish transparency; check by opening the file in a program with a dark background or in a design tool.
Have the colours shifted? If the source was CMYK, a difference arising from the RGB conversion is normal.
Is the file size acceptable? If not, reassess your content type.

When should you choose something other than PNG?

The content is pure photography and the file will be used on the web: JPG is more appropriate. PNG stays needlessly large here.
The document is multi-page and must stay whole: PDF.
The file is going to print: do not convert it to either. Give the printer the original TIFF (or the PDF/X format the printer asks for). Because PNG does not support CMYK it is not suited to print workflows.
You are doing long-term corporate archiving: let it stay as TIFF. PNG is a lossless and well-regarded format, but the established standard in library and museum digitisation is TIFF.

In summary

Converting from TIFF to PNG is a safe transition as far as pixel data is concerned — no compression artefacts are added. The gain is that you end up with a file that works in environments where TIFF will not open, preserves transparency and displays without trouble on the web. The loss is not in pixels but in the format's capabilities: multi-page support, CMYK and usually high colour depth. If your content is graphics-heavy or carries transparency, PNG is the right choice; if it is pure photography and size matters, consider JPG. In every case, do not neglect to keep the original TIFF.