Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)
TIFF is the archival/print industry standard — scanned documents, GIS, medical imaging, and DNG raw photos. IFD tag model is a classic variable-header design.
What It Defines
Flexible raster format using IFD (Image File Directory) tag entries: byte order mark (`II`/`MM`), magic 42, then linked IFD chains. Supports multiple pages, compression (LZW, JPEG, deflate), alpha, and metadata tags. MIME type: `image/tiff`.
Canonical (Normative)
Related References
Joint ISO/IEC technical committee (JTC 1) publishes many of the binary file formats the web depends on: JPEG, PDF, MP4/ISOBMFF, ZIP (ISO/IEC 21320), and office document containers. Specs are often available via national body mirrors; some are freely readable online.
Related Specs
PNG is the default lossless image format on the web — screenshots, UI assets, icons with transparency, and OCR-friendly graphics. Chunk structure matters for metadata stripping and security review.
JPEG dominates photo storage and delivery. EXIF metadata (GPS, camera, orientation) lives in APP1 markers — relevant for privacy, image processing, and upload pipelines.
Legacy Windows bitmap format still encountered in scanners, game assets, and older pipelines. Simple header + raw pixels — useful for understanding uncompressed raster layout.