TIFF

TIFF (Tag Image Format File) is a raster file format that describes grayscale, palette-color and full-color image data. It is typically output from scanners, frame grabbers, and paint- and photo-manipulation applications.

The TIFF format originated in 1986 when Aldus Corporation and leading scanner vendors worked together to create a standard file format for images used in desktop publishing.

TIFF is supported by all major imaging hardware and software developers. It is device independent and is used in most operating environments, including Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX. This non-proprietary industry standard for data communication has been implemented by most scanner manufacturers and desktop publishing applications.