TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)

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Introduction

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a commonly used image file format that supports multiple compression methods and color models, and can store multi-page documents, image metadata, alpha channels and other information. TIFF files are usually used in high-quality prints, publications and image processing, and can also be used to store scanned paper documents or photos. Due to its support for flexible pixel and metadata storage, TIFF format has been widely used in many industries.

File Format

File header: The file header contains basic information about the TIFF file, such as byte order (big endian or little endian), version number, and offset of the first image file directory.
**Image file directory: **IFD is the core part of TIFF file. It contains one or more directory entries, each of which describes an image attribute or metadata. Directory entries include tags, data types, data quantity, and data values. Data values can be stored directly in IFD or stored elsewhere in the file and referenced by offsets.
Image data: The image data section stores the actual image pixel values. Depending on the directory entries in IFD, image data can be uncompressed or compressed using some lossless compression algorithm.
Optional thumbnail: Some TIFF files contain a thumbnail, which is a smaller version of the image for quick preview of the image in an image viewer.
Other metadata: In addition to basic image attributes and metadata, TIFF files can also contain other types of information, such as artist information, copyright information, geographic location information, etc. This information is usually embedded in IFD in the form of tags.

Pros

1. High-quality image processing: The TIFF format can save high-quality image information because it can be uncompressed or losslessly compressed, ensuring that the image will not lose information during storage and transmission. This feature makes the TIFF format widely used in professional image processing fields, such as photogrammetry, remote sensing, printing and publishing, etc.

2. Flexible color and mode support: The TIFF format supports multiple color bits, such as 256 colors, 24-bit true color, 32-bit color, etc., and supports multiple color modes such as RGB and CMYK. This flexibility enables the TIFF format to meet different image processing needs.

3. Multi-platform support: TIFF is an image format independent of the operating system, so it can be opened and edited on multiple platforms and applications, such as image processing software such as Photoshop and GIMP, as well as desktop printing and page layout applications.

Cons

1. Large storage space: Since the TIFF format is not compressed or uses lossless compression, its file size is usually large. This will increase storage and transmission costs and is not conducive to the storage and quick access of a large number of images.

**2. Slow storage and reading speed: **Since TIFF files are large in size, they may take more time to store and read. This may affect the efficiency of image processing, especially when a large number of images need to be processed.

Application Scenario

TIFF is suitable for application scenarios that require high-quality images and sophisticated image processing. For example, complex operations and processing of images (such as image segmentation, image analysis, and computer vision) need to be performed, the original quality of images needs to be preserved, or images need to be post-processed and edited.