TIFF to AVIF Converter

The largest size reduction of any conversion here

Going from a TIFF master to an AVIF web file is the single most dramatic size change available, routinely from tens of megabytes down to a couple of hundred kilobytes. That gap is a good illustration of what a web format is for: AVIF is engineered to deliver a picture over a network, while a TIFF is engineered to hold a master on disk. Neither is better in the abstract. The question is only whether this particular file needs to be a master or a web asset.

Decide whether this file is a master or a web asset first

The most common mistake is converting the only copy of a scan. If that TIFF is the sole original, it is a master, and masters do not need converting. If the file already has a place in a print or archive workflow, converting it changes its role. So the first question is not which format to use but whether you are preparing a web copy or replacing something. Prepare a copy, and keep the master untouched.

• If the TIFF is the only original, keep it and treat any conversion as a copy.
• If it is already archived, converting it for web use is safe.
• Never replace a master with a lossy web file.
• A print shop needs the TIFF. A website needs the AVIF. They are not substitutes.

NoteConverting is a one way door for quality. Every pass through a lossy encoder discards detail, so always convert from the highest quality source available.

AVIF and the fallback question

AVIF gives the smallest file of the practical web formats, and it is supported across all current major browsers. The catch is that older browsers, some in-app webviews, and many content management systems will not accept it, and a broken product image is worse than a slightly larger one. If you control the page, serve AVIF with a WebP fallback and keep both files. If you are uploading to a system that accepts one image, verify it accepts AVIF before converting a set.

• AVIF for the smallest file, where current browsers are the audience.
• WebP as the fallback and as the single-file choice when support is uncertain.
• Confirm the content system accepts AVIF before batch converting.
• Some older design and publishing tools will not open AVIF at all.

MDN: image file type and format guide

What is lost besides compression

A TIFF carries more than pixels. It may hold a colour profile, resolution in DPI, layers, channels, and embedded previews. None of that survives a conversion to AVIF, which is a flat RGB image. If the file was destined for print, that is a real loss, because a print shop needs to know the intended physical size and colour handling. For a website, none of it matters, which is the clearest argument for converting a copy and keeping the original.

• Colour profiles do not transfer. A CMYK TIFF becomes a plain RGB web image.
• DPI metadata is lost, so the file no longer implies a print size.
• Layers and channels are flattened permanently.
• Send the original TIFF to any print supplier, not a converted copy.