Compress TIFF Images

LZW (Lempel–Ziv–Welch) is a lossless, dictionary-based compression method built into the TIFF format and supported by virtually every professional imaging application. It reduces an uncompressed TIFF by roughly 30 to 60 percent while keeping every pixel exactly intact, which makes it the dependable standard for print masters and archival files.

With lossless LZW or ZIP compression, no — every pixel is preserved exactly, so the file is print-identical to the original. Only if you choose the optional JPEG-in-TIFF codec is some detail traded for a smaller file. For print, scanning, and archives, stick with lossless LZW to keep full fidelity.

Lossless LZW typically saves 30 to 60 percent versus an uncompressed TIFF, depending on the image content. Photographs with lots of detail compress less; flatter graphics and documents compress more. Keep in mind that even after compression, TIFF remains a large professional format compared with JPG or WebP.

TIFF is designed for maximum fidelity, not small files. Lossless compression can only remove redundancy, not detail, so a compressed TIFF stays much bigger than a JPG of the same image. That's exactly what you want for print and archives. If you need a small file, convert it to JPG or WebP instead.

No. Web browsers do not natively display TIFF files, which is why TIFF is never used directly on websites. It lives in print pipelines, scanning, and archival storage. When you need to show the image online, convert and compress it to a web format such as WebP, JPG, or PNG using our converter tools.

LZW and ZIP (Deflate) are both lossless — they shrink the file with no quality change, and ZIP sometimes does a little better on photographic data. The JPEG codec inside a TIFF is lossy: it compresses much harder but introduces artifacts. Use a lossless codec for masters, and reserve the JPEG codec for cases where a smaller size outweighs perfect quality.

No. All compression happens entirely inside your own browser. Your TIFF files are never uploaded, transmitted, or stored anywhere. There are no accounts, no tracking, and no server involved. This is especially valuable for confidential print, legal, or archival material that must stay private.

Yes, TIFF is a long-standing archival standard precisely because it preserves full image fidelity and supports lossless compression. Libraries, museums, and records offices rely on it for scanned documents and heritage material. Compressing with LZW keeps that archival quality while reducing the storage footprint for large collections.

Yes. You can select multiple TIFF files and compress them together as a batch — ideal for processing a folder of scans or print masters at once. Each file is handled locally in your browser, and you can download them individually or as a set. The practical limit is your device's memory rather than any server quota.

No. Compression repacks the pixel data more efficiently — the width and height stay exactly the same, and with LZW so does every pixel value. Your print resolution is unaffected. If you also need to fit a specific file size for an upload, our dedicated target-size tools can resize and compress together.

Yes. The compressor is fully responsive and works on Android and iPhone browsers as well as desktop. That said, TIFF files are often very large, so processing them on a phone depends on available memory. For big print-resolution masters, a desktop browser will generally handle them more comfortably.