How to open TIFF files in CorelDRAW

6 steps to open a TIFF file with CorelDRAW

Open TIFF files in CorelDRAW on Windows

CorelDRAW is compatible with:

• Windows 11 
• Windows 10

Open TIFF files in CorelDRAW on Mac

CorelDRAW is compatible with:

• macOS Ventura (13)
• macOS Monterey (12)

If you want to open a TIFF file, you will need to use graphic design software like CorelDRAW. Download a free trial of CorelDRAW to get started designing TIFF files.

What is a TIFF file?

A TIFF file is a very high-quality image file that can include either lossless digital graphics or lossy JPG compression (if it is a photo).

Whether a TIFF file is a vector or a bitmap image depends on what type of data is involved.

If it is a graphic design like a logo, a TIFF file is likely to be a vector file which can be scaled endlessly without losing quality.

On the contrary, If the TIFF file is a photograph the image will be much more compressed if blown up, but TIFF files tend to be extremely high quality and professional photographers may use them for printing photos.

TIFF files are supported by image editing software like CorelDRAW, and are widely used by photographers, designers, and publishers.

If you encounter a TIFF file you will be able to open it in CorelDRAW.

TIF or TIFF? Things to know

Long story short, there is no difference between TIF and TIFF files. The format is known as Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) and the owner, Adobe, uses both in its documentation.

The difference in the name comes from the types of systems that use these file formats.

Older file systems can only handle three letter file extensions like .JPG, .PDF, and .TIF

Newer file systems, however, can handle longer file extension names and use the full TIFF.

Any applications that can open TIFF files can also support TIF files, and there is no difference in image quality between the two types.

After editing a JPEG image, saving it as a TIFF file prevents another layer of compression artifacts from being added. This might be a critical step in the workflow if more editing will be performed in the future.

Repeatedly editing and saving an image as a JPEG will progressively deteriorate a photograph to the point that it will become unusable.

Saving an image in a lossless format such as TIFF allows ongoing edits to be made without damaging the picture any further.

On the other hand, many paint and photo editing apps save files in a proprietary lossless format already so this might not be a concern.

Also, some JPEG manipulations can be performed without requiring recompression.

Cropping, rotating, flipping, and editing metadata should not reduce the quality of a JPEG if the app is handling the process correctly.

There’s usually no need to save every photo as a TIFF.

For instance, if a picture captures a moment perfectly or requires only minimal editing, there’s probably no need to use the extra storage space required by a TIFF file.

RAW files are already the purest representation of the original photograph and require less space than a TIFF file.

What are the advantages of TIFF files?

One of the advantages of TIFF file formats is that it can handle both images and data within a single file, including header tags such as size, definition, image-data arrangement, and applied image compression, thus making this format quite flexible and adaptable.

For example, a single TIFF file can contain both (lossy) JPEG and (lossless) PackBits compressed images.

What also makes the format more flexible and and therefore popular is that it can be rendered in any classes, including gray scale, color palette, or RGB full color.

Hence, along with being a container for different image file formats, TIF or TIFF is a single format usable across multiple platforms.

Take note that this format can also store image data in a lossless format.

Unlike the more common and standard JPEG standard, which is a lossy format, another advantage of TIFF is that it is useful for archiving images for further editing, transferring, and saving without losing image quality.

The BMP file format, which is a lossless format, is less flexible compared to TIFF.

Predominantly lossless compression means TIFF files retain the original image’s detail and color depth — making it perfect for high-quality professional photos.

Their impressive detail means TIFFs are ideal for high-resolution scans, such as backing up your treasured artwork, family photographs, and personal documents.

Also…

Some other advantages:

• TIFFs are a universal and adaptable file format, so they can be used with all the major operating systems.
• This file type can work as a container for smaller-sized JPEGs, storing multiple images in one master raster graphic.
• TIFFs are a good option to store high-resolution images ahead of editing and asset creation.

What are the disadvantages of TIFF files?

When compared to the PNG and JPEG standards, a principal disadvantage of TIFFs is that they demand a relatively large file size, so they consume a significant amount of storage space TIFF files may be also be too large to upload as an email attachment.

Take note that this format is generally uncompressed.

A single TIFF file can typically take up at least 100 megabytes of storage space.

When used as an online image for websites or web-based applications, TIFF files can take a long time to open or download, while also consuming more broadband data.

However, remember that the format can store multiple files in a single file.

A single TIFF file can be a container for different image files. This is useful for the storage and transmission of text data or documents.

That said, unlike the PDF format, it cannot directly store the textual contents of documents, thereby making it unsuitable for archiving searchable texts.

The level of detail and high resolution are what lead to TIFFs being such large files. They can take up valuable space on your drive.

Their size makes them difficult to share or send to contacts or clients. Their high quality makes them a poor choice for website design, since detailed images can slow a website’s loading speed.

Lighter file formats, like a JPEG, might be more useful for online images that you are going to use on a website or similar use case.

Where are TIFF files used?

TIFF file format is widely supported in image editing applications.

For that purpose, it’s a very popular image format among graphic artists, photographers, and publishing authorities.

PaintShop Pro is one of the most popular applications available for handling TIFF images.

TIFFs are popular across a range of industries — such as design, photography, and desktop publishing. TIFF files can be used for:

High-quality photographs

TIFFs are perfect for retaining lots of impressively detailed image data because they use a predominately lossless form of file compression. This makes them a great choice for professional photographers and editors.

High-resolution scans

The detailed image quality of a TIFF means they’re ideal for scanned images and high-resolution documents.

You might find them a useful choice for storing high-resolution images of your artwork or personal documents.

Container files

TIFFs also work as container files that store smaller JPEGs.

You could store several lower-resolution JPEGs within one TIFF if you wanted to email a selection of photos to a contact.

Printing

TIFF supports the CMYK color space which is used in print work.

While TIFF is great for photographs that will be printed, this isn’t an ideal format for documents.

A PDF file is better in for that use case since it can contain bitmap images as well as super-efficient vector graphics as well as text using stylized fonts much more efficiently than TIFF can.

TIFF remains the top choice for printing photographs, even if the image is wrapped within a PDF file.

In general, TIFF is a good choice for image files that are in progress but need to be moved between apps or locations.

If a picture will be used in a page layout program, sent to a print service, or within a document that must be scanned, TIFF might be the preferred format.

TIFF allows the use of the choice of color space, such as CMYK and spot colors.

These are colors used by some professional printers with CMYK standing for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink. Spot colors, such as Pantone Colors, are often used for logos and for greater precision than CMYK allows.

Since TIFF can use these print-oriented color spaces, it is often preferred for page layout and publishing. As a lossless file format, editing can be done without adding compression artifacts.

What is a TIFF file format used for?

A TIF file is storing raster graphics.

This file format is popular among graphic artists and photographers and is widely supported by scanning, word processing, faxing, image manipulation, and page-layout applications.

Do TIFF files have layers?

Short answer - Yes. TIFF files are similar to PSD files in that they can be used to save layered designs.

They offer everything that a standard PSD file has to offer but with a couple extra benefits.

The first is that TIFF files are the generally accepted standard file format in the graphic design industry.

The second is that unlike PSD files, TIFF files can be larger than 2GB. This is important for high-resolution photos and editing as files may easily become larger than 2GB with many layers of edits.

CorelDRAW opens TIFF files and many more file formats

We designed CorelDRAW Graphics Suite to open or import a wide range of file formats, these are just a few of the supported file formats: