How to Convert TIFF to PNG

TIFF is common for scans, camera exports and print work, but many websites, chat apps and editing tools prefer PNG. Both formats can store images without lossy compression, so converting TIFF to PNG usually keeps full image detail. Some TIFF features have no direct PNG equivalent, though, so it is worth checking the result after conversion.

Before you start

Make a copy of the original TIFF and convert the copy. That way the original stays untouched if the PNG turns out wrong.

Check whether your TIFF has any of these features. They affect which tool you should use:

• Multiple pages: scanners and fax software often save several pages in one TIFF. A PNG holds one image, so each page becomes a separate PNG.
• CMYK color: print-oriented TIFFs may use CMYK. PNG supports RGB and grayscale only, so the colors must be converted and may shift slightly.
• Transparency: if the TIFF has an alpha channel, use a tool that keeps it when saving as PNG.
• High bit depth: PNG supports up to 16 bits per channel. A 32-bit floating-point TIFF has to be reduced, and some tools may refuse to open it.

Decide where the conversion should run. Built-in apps, desktop image editors and command-line tools work locally on your computer. Online converters require uploading the file to someone else's server. If the image is private, such as a scanned document or ID, prefer a local method, or read the service's privacy and file deletion terms before uploading.

Step-by-step instructions

Windows: Paint

• Right-click the TIFF file and choose Open with, then Paint.
• Open the File menu and choose Save as, then PNG picture.
• Enter a file name, choose a folder and click Save.

Paint is fine for simple single-page images. It may open only the first page of a multi-page TIFF and may not keep transparency, so use one of the methods below if your file has either feature.

macOS: Preview

• Open the TIFF in Preview.
• Choose File, then Export.
• In the Format menu, select PNG. If an Alpha option is shown and your image has transparency, leave it enabled.
• Choose a name and location, then click Save.

For a multi-page TIFF, Preview shows the pages in the sidebar. Export works on the selected page, so repeat it for each page you need.

Any desktop system: GIMP

• Open the TIFF with File, then Open. For a multi-page file, GIMP asks whether to open the pages as separate images or as layers; choose separate images if you want one PNG per page.
• Choose File, then Export As.
• Type a file name ending in .png and click Export.
• In the PNG options dialog, keep the default settings unless you have a reason to change them, then click Export.

The compression level in the PNG dialog only changes file size and saving speed. PNG compression is lossless, so a higher level does not reduce image quality.

Command line: ImageMagick

ImageMagick is useful when you have many files. With version 7, the basic command is magick input.tif output.png. Older version 6 installs use convert instead of magick.

• Multi-page TIFF: the command above writes one numbered PNG per page, such as output-0.png and output-1.png. To convert only the first page, use input.tif[0] as the input.
• Whole folder: magick mogrify -format png *.tif writes a PNG next to each TIFF and leaves the TIFF files in place.
• CMYK TIFF: adding -colorspace sRGB before the output name converts the colors to RGB. For accurate print-to-screen color, a conversion based on the file's embedded color profile gives better results.

Online converters

Online tools usually follow the same pattern: upload the TIFF, choose PNG as the output format, then download the result. Before using one, check the size limit, whether multi-page files are split into separate PNGs, and how long uploaded files are kept. Treat any deletion promise as something to verify in the service's own terms, not as a guarantee.

Check the output

Open the PNG next to the original TIFF and compare them:

• Pixel dimensions: width and height should match the original unless you resized on purpose. The aspect ratio should be unchanged.
• Colors: compare the two side by side. A noticeable shift usually points to a CMYK source or a missing color profile.
• Transparency: open the PNG in an editor that shows transparent areas as a checkerboard. If they appear solid white or black, transparency was lost.
• Pages: confirm you have one PNG for every TIFF page you needed.
• File size: a PNG can be larger or smaller than the TIFF depending on how the TIFF was compressed. Size alone does not indicate a quality problem.

Also note that some metadata, such as print resolution (DPI) or camera information, may not carry over in full. If those details matter, check the PNG's properties in your image editor or file manager.

Common problems and next steps

Only the first page was converted. The tool opened only one page of a multi-page TIFF. Use Preview page by page, GIMP with separate images, or ImageMagick, which writes every page automatically.

Colors look washed out or too bright. The source is probably CMYK, or its color profile was ignored. Convert to RGB in an editor that applies the embedded profile, then save as PNG again.

The background turned black or white. The tool dropped the alpha channel. Repeat the conversion in GIMP, Preview with the Alpha option enabled, or ImageMagick.

The TIFF will not open. Some TIFFs use uncommon compression or 32-bit floating-point data that basic viewers cannot read. Try GIMP or ImageMagick, which handle more TIFF variants.

The PNG is too large for upload. PNG is lossless, so photos can produce big files. Reduce the pixel dimensions while keeping the aspect ratio, or, if exact detail and transparency are not needed, save a copy in a lossy file format instead.