TIFF is the workhorse format of document scanners, fax systems and archives, valued because it stores images without lossy compression and can hold many pages in one file. It's also a format that phones, browsers and email previews often can't display. TIFF to PDF turns every page of every TIFF into a PDF page, keeping the image data lossless, so scans keep their detail while becoming easy to open and share.
How to use TIFF to PDF
- Add one or more TIFF files. Multi-page TIFFs are fine.
- Arrange the files in the order you want.
- Select Convert to PDF.
- Download the PDF and check that the page count matches your TIFF pages.
Multi-page TIFFs
- One file, many pages: A single TIFF can contain dozens of pages, which is how many scanners and fax servers save a whole document.
- Every page is read: VelloDoc reads every page in the file and adds each one as its own PDF page, in order.
- Several files in order: When you add several TIFF files, their pages follow the order of the file list, so a batch of faxes can become one continuous document in a single step.
- No splitting needed: Nothing needs to be split or exported page by page first.
Keeping scan quality
- Stored without lossy compression: TIFF scans are usually stored without lossy compression, and VelloDoc keeps them that way inside the PDF, so fine print and signatures stay as sharp as the scanner captured them.
- Fax pages: Black-and-white fax pages are stored as compact grayscale images.
- Page size at 150 ppi: Page size is calculated at 150 pixels per inch instead of from the resolution recorded in the TIFF, so a 300 DPI scan produces a page twice the size of the original paper. Printers scale it to fit.
- For a smaller file, use Compress PDF afterwards.
From archive scans to searchable records
- Still images of text: Converted TIFF scans are still images of text.
- Add a text layer: OCR PDF adds a searchable text layer so archived records can be found by keyword, and Remove Blank Pages clears out the empty sides of duplex batches.
- Where to read more: For long-term preservation, the format guide explains PDF/A, and the searchable PDF guide covers how text layers work.
When people use TIFF to PDF
Fax server output
Convert multi-page fax TIFFs into PDFs that colleagues can open on any phone or laptop without special viewers.
Archive and records scans
Bring lossless archive scans into a format that document systems, email and browsers handle without trouble.
Document scanner batches
Combine a scanner's TIFF output from several sessions into one ordered PDF for filing.
Limitations to know
TIFF to PDF stores pages as lossless images, so files can be large, and it sizes pages at 150 pixels per inch instead of using the TIFF's recorded resolution. Black-and-white pages become grayscale images, and text isn't searchable until OCR is applied.
TIFF to PDF: common questions
Why won't my TIFF open on my phone?
Many phone galleries, browsers and email apps support TIFF poorly or not at all, especially multi-page and fax-compressed files. PDF is supported everywhere.
Are all pages of a multi-page TIFF converted?
Yes. Every page in the file becomes a PDF page, in the order they appear inside the TIFF.
Why are the PDF pages bigger than the paper I scanned?
Page size is based on 150 pixels per inch, not the resolution stored in the TIFF, so a 300 DPI scan produces pages twice as large. The image detail is unchanged, and printing with fit to page restores the normal size.
Will the PDF be smaller than the TIFF?
Often it's similar or smaller, because images are stored with efficient lossless compression. Uncompressed TIFFs usually shrink the most.