Digital
Photo File Formats: JPEG vs. TIFF
Our scanning services provide you with high resolution digital
images saved to one of two formats, JPEG format, or TIFF
format. Each format has it's unique benefits and is better
suited for certain people or situations. There has been
much debate about these two formats and some people feel
very strongly about one or the other. We don't charge more
for one or the other and will not attempt to influence your
opinion. Below are some facts about each format that should
help you decide which is a better choice for your needs.
JPEG and TIFF in a Nutshell: JPEG:
Sometimes referred to as JPG. JPEG is probably the most
popular and compatible image format around. JPEG is the
standard file format of most of today's consumer quality
digital cameras and is supported by almost all of today's
imaging software. JPEG uses lossy compression, meaning that
some image data is lost when the file is compressed. The
amount of compression can be varied, the more compression
the more data is discarded and the smaller a file becomes.
JPEG is great for creating smaller file sizes for uploading
on the Internet, or for use with e-mail. It's also a good
choice because it's very popular and likely to be around
for a long time. We use Maximum quality JPEG compression
settings that provide you with high quality images.
TIFF: TIFF
format is the standard for most commercial and professional
printing needs. We use the uncompressed TIFF format meaning
that no image data is lost after scanning. TIFF is a great
choice for archiving images when all detail must be preserved
and file size is not a consideration. TIFF files are very
large in size compared to JPEGs because no compression is
used.
JPEG &
TIFF Compared:
The chart below outlines the pros and cons of each format.
JPEG
TIFF
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Smaller File Size: JPEG uses lossy compresion to reduce
file size making use on the Internet or creating backup CDs less hassle.
Large File Size: TIFFfiles are much larger than JPEGs
making them harder to upload or email.
Lossy Compresion: Lossy means with data loss. JPEG
compression does discard some image data based on the amount of compression
used.
No Compression: Our TIFF files do not get compressed.
This means 100% of the data captured during scanning is retained.
Supported by most software and photo sharing websites.
Not supported by most photo sharing websites but is
supported by most software.
High Quality but not the absolute best.
Absolute best quality!
Not as good a choice for editing: JPEG files use lossy
compression. If you plan to edit a photo and then re-save it you will
lose some quality each time.
Better if you plan to edit: Because TIFF files don't
use compression they do not degrade in quality each time the photo is
edited.
How big will
my files be?
This depends on the format they are saved to. The charts
below list file sizes you can expect from TIFF and JPEG
files.
35 mm Film Scanning: pixel & file size
of a standard 35mm frame
Scan Resolution
Pixel Dimensions
Megapixels
JPEG File Size
TIFF File Size
2000 DPI
2700 x 1800
4.8
2.2 MB - 3.8 MB
14.2 MB
3000 DPI
4050 x 2700
10.9
4.3 MB - 7.1 MB
32.0 MB
4000 DPI
5400 x 3600
19.4
6.7 MB - 10.8
MB
56.9 MB
* Based
on 24 bit scanning and JPEG quality of 10 using Adobe Photoshop. JPEG
file sizes vary.
35 mm Film Scanning: pixel & file size
of a standard 35mm frame
Scan Resolution
Pixel Dimensions
Megapixels
JPEG File Size
TIFF File Size
2000 DPI
2700 x 1800
4.8
2.2 MB - 3.8 MB
14.2 MB
3000 DPI
4050 x 2700
10.9
4.3 MB - 7.1 MB
32.0 MB
4000 DPI
5400 x 3600
19.4
6.7 MB - 10.8
MB
56.9 MB
* Based
on 24 bit scanning and JPEG quality of 10 using Adobe Photoshop. JPEG
file sizes vary.
300 DPI Print Scans:
Pixel Dimensions
JPEG File Size
TIFF File Size
3 x 5
900 x 1500
650 KB - 1 MB
3.9 MB
4 x 6
1200 x 1800
1.1 MB - 1.6 MB
6.3 MB
5 x 7
1500 x 2100
1.6 MB - 2.3 MB
9.2 MB
8 x 10
2400 x 3000
3.2 - 4.5 MB
21.2 MB
* Based
on 24 bit scanning and JPEG quality of 10 using Adobe Photoshop. JPEG
file sizes vary.
600 DPI Print Scans:
Pixel Dimensions
JPEG File Size
TIFF File Size
3 x 5
1800 x 3000
2.4 MB - 3.5 MB
15.8 MB
4 x 6
2400 x 3600
3.6 MB - 5.2 MB
25.3 MB
5 x 7
3000 x 4200
4.8 MB - 6.9 MB
36.9 MB
8 x 10
4800 x 6000
9.1 MB - 14.3
MB
84.4 MB
* Based
on 24 bit scanning and JPEG quality of 10 using Adobe Photoshop. JPEG
file sizes vary.
Our Recommendations:
If you need the absolute best quality image then TIFF format
will serve you well but keep in mind that the files are huge and many programs have trouble with them. If you're sending family photos or are the average
computer
user we recommend JPEG format because it is easier to work
with, more compatible, and is the standard used by most digital cameras. JPEG files can easily be used with today's photo
sharing and online backup web sites and don't require an enormous amount of space
on your computer. Keep in mind that we use high quality JPEG files with minimal compression. We hope the information above has
been helpful
to you. If you wish to read more about these file formats
we recommend you do a search on
www.google.com .
An Introduction to Digital Photography: This article
explains digital images, Resolution, and Megapixels.
It provides a brief technical background to digital
imaging.
Scan Resolution Help: This article explains scan resolution.
It looks at scanning resolution from three perspectives and makes recommendations
accordingly.
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