XCF to TIFF

How to Convert XCF to TIFF Online

1. Upload Your XCF File: Drag and drop your GIMP project file or click "+ Add Files" to select. Flatten layered projects in GIMP first (Image → Flatten Image, then re-save the .xcf) — a multi-layer XCF has one layer written to the TIFF, not the merged canvas. Batch conversion supported — process an entire folder of GIMP exports at once.
2. Pick Compression Type: The default Quality Preset is "Very High (Recommended)". Under Compression Type, choose LZW for the most compatible lossless compression (the prepress and archival default), Deflate (zlib) for slightly smaller lossless files, JPEG for lossy compression with adjustable Image Quality (%), PackBits for fast lossless RLE, or No Compression for raw uncompressed pixels. CCITT Fax 4 is available for 1-bit bilevel scans.
3. Adjust Resolution and File Size (Optional): Under Image Resolution choose Keep original, a Preset Resolution, or set Width x Height (aspect ratio locked). For a target output, set Target file size (%) of original, an exact size in KB or MB, or use Image Quality (%) when JPEG compression is selected.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared. The output keeps the.tiff extension by default; toggle to.tif if your downstream tool expects the three-letter form (the bytes are identical either way).

Why Convert XCF to TIFF?

XCF is GIMP's native project format — short for "eXperimental Computing Facility" after GIMP's UC Berkeley origins. It stores everything GIMP knows about your image (layers, paths, channels, guides, selections), but only GIMP itself can open it. TIFF (Tagged Image File Format), created by Stephen Carlsen at Aldus Corporation in 1986 and now maintained by Adobe, is the industry standard for high-fidelity raster images in print, archival, and scientific imaging.

• Print and prepress delivery — Commercial printers, magazines, and book publishers expect TIFF (typically with LZW compression at 300 DPI) for cover art, illustrations, and photo plates. XCF files cannot be placed in InDesign, QuarkXPress, or Affinity Publisher; flatten in GIMP and convert to TIFF first.
• Archival masters — Libraries, museums, and the US Library of Congress recommend uncompressed or LZW-compressed TIFF as a sustainable preservation format. Converting your XCF working file to TIFF gives you a layer-flat archival copy that any imaging tool will read decades from now.
• Scientific and medical imaging — DICOM, microscopy, and GIS pipelines ingest TIFF (often 16-bit grayscale, BigTIFF for files over 4 GB). XCF is unsupported in those workflows.
• Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom interop — Photoshop reads TIFF natively but cannot open XCF without third-party plugins. Send a flattened TIFF to a designer working in Adobe CC.
• Multi-page document scans — TIFF supports multi-page containers (one file, many image directories), used for fax archives, scanned books, and OCR pipelines. XCF is single-image only.
• High bit-depth output — TIFF supports 1-bit (bilevel scans), 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit floating-point per channel. Export 16-bit TIFFs from GIMP's high-precision modes for HDR or scientific work without banding.

XCF vs TIFF — Format Comparison

TIFF Compression Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Are my GIMP layers preserved in the TIFF?

No — baseline TIFF does not store layers — and the stack is not composited for you on the way in. A multi-layer XCF reaches the converter as a multi-page image and one layer is written out, so the other layers' artwork is missing and the areas they covered arrive as empty alpha. In our testing with a three-layer GIMP project, the output carried only the bottom layer. Flatten in GIMP first (Image → Flatten Image, then re-save the .xcf) and the TIFF matches your canvas. Keep the layered XCF separately for editing; Photoshop's proprietary layered TIFF extension is not produced by this converter.

Should I pick LZW, Deflate, or JPEG compression?

LZW is the safe default — every TIFF reader from 1992 onward supports it, and it is the de-facto prepress standard. Deflate (zlib) typically produces files 10-20% smaller than LZW and is supported by Photoshop, Lightroom, ImageMagick, and modern viewers, but a few legacy print RIPs may stumble on it. Pick JPEG only if you need the smallest possible TIFF and you accept lossy compression — JPEG-in-TIFF is a poor choice for print masters or files you will edit again.

What's the difference between.tif and.tiff?

There is no functional difference. The 8.3 filename limit on early MS-DOS forced the three-letter.tif extension; modern systems support either. The bytes inside the file are identical. Choose.tiff for explicit modern documentation, or.tif if your downstream system expects the legacy form. Use XCF to TIF if your workflow specifies the three-letter extension.

How do I size an XCF export for print?

There is no DPI control on this page, so size the export in pixels. 300 DPI is the prepress standard for offset printing and most magazines, which means an 8-inch-wide placement needs 2400 pixels across; 600 DPI for line art, fine illustration, and high-end art books doubles that. 150 DPI is acceptable for newspaper print and large-format banners viewed from a distance, and web preview proofs are fine at 72 or 96 DPI. Set the pixel width under the resolution options, then write the DPI tag in GIMP or your layout application if the printer asks for one.

Will TIFF preserve transparency from my XCF?

Yes — TIFF supports an alpha channel and the converter carries the alpha of the layer it writes. Flatten the project in GIMP first so that layer is your finished composite; otherwise the "transparency" you see in the TIFF is really the empty space left by layers that never made it in. Some print workflows expect a flat white or knockout background instead, so if your printer requires no alpha, flatten onto a solid background layer in GIMP before saving the XCF.

How big will my TIFF file be?

TIFF holds one byte per channel per pixel when you turn compression off (8-bit RGB), but the Compression Type dropdown opens on JPEG. A 4000 x 3000 pixel image is roughly 36 MB uncompressed, around 18-25 MB with LZW or Deflate, and 2-5 MB with JPEG-in-TIFF. Use Target file size (%) or specific size to constrain the output if you need to stay under an email or upload cap.

Can I export 16-bit TIFF for HDR or scientific work?

Not from this page — there is no bit-depth control, so the export is written at 8 bits per channel. GIMP 2.10+ does store high-precision data in XCF, so when you need a 16-bit TIFF for HDR or scientific work, export it from GIMP itself with the image set to 16-bit precision. 16-bit TIFFs are roughly twice the size of 8-bit but avoid banding in gradients and are required by many scientific imaging pipelines.

Does the converter support multi-page TIFF from a single XCF?

No — XCF is a single-image format with layers, while multi-page TIFF requires multiple independent image directories. To build a multi-page TIFF from several XCF files, convert each XCF to TIFF first, then merge them with a tool like ImageMagick's convert *.tiff out.tif.

What's the file size limit and is it free?

The practical ceiling is what your connection can upload — several hundred MB is routine. Conversion is free, runs on our servers, requires no sign-up, and adds no watermark. For related workflows see XCF to PNG for web-friendly output, XCF to PDF for document delivery, or Compress TIFF to shrink an existing TIFF.