What is the difference between .tif and .tiff?

Nothing. They are the same format. The three-letter form survives from the DOS era when extensions were limited to three characters.

How do I open a multi-page TIFF?

Use IrfanView or XnView MP on Windows, both of which let you page through the file. macOS Preview handles multi-page TIFFs natively and lists the pages in its sidebar. Windows Photos only ever shows the first page.

File extensions

How to open a .tif file

Tagged Image File Format · Image

A .tif or .tiff file is a high-quality image. Windows Photos and macOS Preview both open it. If it fails, the file is probably a multi-page scan or uses a compression variant that basic viewers do not read.

What a .tif file actually is

TIFF is a container for raster images that has been in use since 1986. It supports lossless storage, layers, high bit depths and, importantly, multiple pages in a single file.

That last property is why TIFF persists in document scanning, faxing, publishing and archiving long after simpler formats took over consumer photography.

Why it will not open

The extension covers a wide range of internal variants. A TIFF using LZW, JPEG or CCITT Group 4 compression, or holding a multi-page scan, will defeat viewers that only implement the basics.

Step by step

Windows

01Double-click. Windows Photos handles standard TIFF files.
02For a multi-page scan, open it in IrfanView or XnView MP, which expose page navigation. Photos shows only the first page.
03For editing rather than viewing, use paint.net or GIMP.

macOS

01Double-click. Preview opens TIFF including multi-page documents, shown as thumbnails in the sidebar.
02Use File, Export to convert to JPEG or PDF.

Programs that open .tif

Our pick, in order. Every one links to the publisher's official download URL and the SHA-256 hash of the installer, so you can check the file before you run it.

Also registers .tif in its manifest

Taken straight from publisher manifests. Some of these handle the format for a narrow purpose rather than as their main job.

Yandex Browserv26.6.3.870 · 1 hashed installer100

Common questions

What is the difference between .tif and .tiff?: Nothing. They are the same format. The three-letter form survives from the DOS era when extensions were limited to three characters.
How do I open a multi-page TIFF?: Use IrfanView or XnView MP on Windows, both of which let you page through the file. macOS Preview handles multi-page TIFFs natively and lists the pages in its sidebar. Windows Photos only ever shows the first page.