TIFFVSJPG

Sending a file to the printer? Don't send a JPG. Discover why TIFF is the industry standard for physical media.

The Verdict

If it's staying on a screen, use JPG. **If it's going on paper, use TIFF.** TIFF preserves all the data your printer needs to color-match perfectly.

Winner: TIFF

You can save a TIFF 1,000 times and it never loses quality (lossless). Save a JPG 10 times and it looks like garbage (generation loss).

Winner: JPG

TIFFs are giants. A 20MP photo can be 100MB. The same photo as a JPG is 5MB. You can't email a TIFF.

Winner: TIFF

TIFF can save layers, allowing you to re-edit text or objects later. JPG flattens everything into one pixel layer forever.