Format Showdown

TIFF VS SVG

The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Tagged Image File Format and Scalable Vector Graphics.

TIFF

tiff

High-quality format used in professional photography and publishing.

Pros

  • Lossless compression
  • Layers support
  • CMYK support for print

Cons

  • Very large files
  • Not supported by web browsers

SVG

svg

Vector format for infinite scaling without quality loss.

Pros

  • Infinite scalability
  • Small text-based files
  • Programmable with CSS/JS

Cons

  • Not for photos
  • Complex rendering for detailed art

When TIFF wins

Stay with TIFF when you need professional printing or scanning. Its strengths center on lossless compression and a feature set native to Adobe.

When SVG wins

Choose SVG when your workflow prioritizes logos or icons. It delivers infinite scalability plus modern compression perks.

Technical Specifications

FeatureTIFFSVG
MIME Typeimage/tiffimage/svg+xml
DeveloperAdobeW3C
Release Year19862001
Best ForProfessional printing, Scanning, ArchivingLogos, Icons, Illustrations

Need to switch?

Opportunity map

Where TIFF still wins

Keep TIFF when you need lossless compression and workflows depend on professional printing / scanning. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship SVG deliverables without leaving their browser.

  • • Reference the .tiff glossary from this page.
  • • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
  • • Use SVG for logos while archiving originals as TIFF.
Internal linking plan

Keep crawlers in the conversion hub

Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.