Why choose JPEG?

• Smaller file size (you won't need as much storage space)
• Wider compatibility with software and social media
• High-quality printing (despite the image compression). Places like Kmart photo printing do not accept the TIFF format.

Why choose TIFF?

• Maximum quality (zero compression)
• Archival and editing
• Professional printing

In other words, JPEG is a delivery format, whereas TIFF is an authoring or interchange format.

At Scan My Photo, TIFF format does cost extra, but JPEG format is also included. So, it's the best of both worlds.

If you are going to use the scans for general use and you are not tech-savvy, choose the simplicity and economy of JPEG. In 99 out of 100 cases, JPEG is the preferred option.

Interested to know more? Continue reading ...

There are many different image formats (PNG, GIF, BMP, JPEG, PSD, TIFF, HEIC, etc), but JPEG and TIFF are the most appropriate for photograph, slide and negative scanning. So, what's the difference between JPEG and TIFF?

JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group and has the .jpg or .jpeg file extension (i.e., the scan will be named "photo.jpg"). JPEG is a compressed format that reduces file size by discarding some image data. This compression may lead to a minor loss of image quality, though it is usually undetectable to the human eye. JPEGs are widely supported and are ideal for web use and quick sharing due to their smaller file sizes. However, repeated editing and saving of JPEG files can degrade image quality over time. Unless you plan on heavily editing your scans repeatedly, this image generational degradation is not significant (also, keep an original and edit the copy).

TIFF stands for Tagged Image File Format and has the .tif or .tiff file extension (i.e., the scan will be named "photo.tif"). Compared to JPEG, TIFF is an uncompressed format that preserves all the original image data, making it the preferred choice for high-quality scans and detailed editing. TIFF files are larger than JPEG files, but they maintain better image quality and are suitable for professional printing and archiving.

Let's dive into some examples!

Here is a photograph of my dog Tessa and me taken in 1985, scanned manually at 1200 PPI in JPEG format.

The file size of the JPEG format is 15 MB.

This is the same photograph in TIFF format.

The file size of the TIFF format is 96 MB! That's 6 times bigger than the JPEG!

To be honest, the image above isn't actually in TIFF. I had to convert the image to JPEG as TIFF isn't supported by internet browsers, while JPEG is universally supported. Despite this, and the fact that both pictures needed to be downsized for web applications (dimensions reduced to 600 x 400 pixels with light compression), you can't see a difference at all between TIFF and JPEG. It might be a better comparison if we zoom in.

Let's look at the detail by magnifying the top screw on the door handle.

First in JPEG ...

and then in TIFF ...

Is there a difference? No. Not really.

When not too great, the JPEG compression does not noticeably affect or detract from the image's quality. The JPEG photo above was taken with the minimum amount of compression. This is what happens if the degree of JPEG compression is increased ...

First, 50% JPEG compression, with a file size of 1.4 MB (10 times smaller) ...

and then full JPEG compression, with a file size of 0.5 MB (30 times smaller) ...

Now, that's a difference, isn't it? Both in the image quality and the file size (i.e., 10 times and 30 times reduction). Let's look at the full-sized images.

First, the original, as above ...

second, the 50% JPEG compression ...

and then full JPEG compression ...

Well, the maximum compression is horrible. However, the difference in image quality between 50% compression and the original is negligible despite the substantial difference in file size. This is why JPEG is perfect for social media posts. There isn't a noticeable difference in photo quality, but the file size, and hence the speed of delivery on sites like Facebook, is vastly improved.

Scan My Photo only offers the JPEG file format at minimum compression. Therefore, image degradation is negligible. So why bother with TIFF at all? Good question ... you probably don't need to worry, to be honest. Unless you plan to heavily edit the photo (e.g., photo restoration), enlarge it, and professionally print it so the colours are identical to the original, you don't need TIFF. JPEG with minimal compression is more than enough.

Thank you for sticking around and reading until the end. I hope this made the choice between JPEG or TIFF image format easier for you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via the contact form.

Marc