HDR to TIFF Converter
Convert HDR to TIFF in your browser. HDR files usually come from HDRI environment maps, 360° panoramas and lighting simulation; TIFF is the better fit for printing, scanning and archival masters. You get an uncompressed 8-bit RGBA TIFF with the resolution recorded. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
HDR expected · other image formats also work
How to use HDR to TIFF
- 1
Add your HDR files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the TIFF is written uncompressed. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .tiff files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for hdr to tiff
Where the TIFF goes next
TIFF opens in Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP, Affinity, macOS Preview, Windows Photos and print RIPs.
TIFF next to HDR
The TIFF is written uncompressed, so expect it to be several times larger than the HDR, which stores run-length encoded RGBE scanlines.
Written without a lossy pass
The TIFF is written uncompressed, so the pixels decoded from the HDR arrive unchanged, apart from precision beyond 8 bits per channel.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
HDR vs TIFF
What changes from HDR to TIFF
Encoding: the HDR uses run-length encoded RGBE scanlines; TIFF uses none, LZW, PackBits, Deflate or JPEG, chosen per file, and the download is an uncompressed 8-bit RGBA TIFF with the resolution recorded.
Bit depth: an 8-bit mantissa per channel sharing an 8-bit exponent (RGBE), 32 bits per pixel in the HDR; TIFF allows 1 to 16 bits per channel, or 32-bit floating point, and the TIFF written here has 8 bits per channel. The high dynamic range is mapped to 8 bits per channel, and values above white clip.
Colour: linear RGB (or XYZ in the XYZE variant) in the HDR; TIFF supports RGB, CMYK, Lab, greyscale or palette, often with an ICC profile, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Metadata: the HDR can carry a text header with FORMAT, EXPOSURE and optional comments; TIFF can carry EXIF, XMP, IPTC and ICC, all stored as tags, but nothing is copied across.
About HDR
Radiance .hdr stores high dynamic range light values, widely used for 3D environment maps and HDRI lighting.
A Radiance file starts with '#?RADIANCE' (or '#?RGBE'), text lines such as FORMAT=32-bit_rle_rgbe and EXPOSURE, a blank line, a resolution line like '-Y 2048 +X 4096', then the scanlines.
HDR files usually come from HDRI environment maps, 360° panoramas and lighting simulation.
About TIFF
TIFF is the professional archive and print format. It can hold multiple pages, high bit depths and lossless data, and is common in scanning, publishing and GIS.
A TIFF begins with 'II' or 'MM' for the byte order and the number 42, then an offset to the first image file directory (IFD): a table of tags giving the size, compression, colour model and the location of the strips or tiles of pixels. Each further page is another IFD.
When converting HDR to TIFF makes sense
TIFF is the better choice for printing, scanning and archival masters, while HDR suits 3D lighting and environment maps.
TIFF strengths: Lossless and print-ready; Multiple pages in one file; Preferred by print shops and archives. Drawbacks to weigh: Very large files; Browsers cannot display it; Many variants and compression schemes.
Limitations
- Light values above 1.0 are clipped rather than tone-mapped, so the sun and bright sky turn flat white.
- Environment maps are 2:1 equirectangular panoramas, so the picture looks stretched near the top and bottom, as it should.
- Files in the XYZE variant cannot be read here; RGBE files, the common kind, can.
- The TIFF is written uncompressed for maximum compatibility, so it is large; print shops and archives generally expect that.
- Browsers other than Safari do not display TIFF, so it is not a format for the web.
More conversions
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting HDR to TIFF lose quality?
TIFF is written uncompressed, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. The high dynamic range is mapped to 8 bits per channel, and values above white clip.
Which apps open TIFF files?
Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP, Affinity, macOS Preview, Windows Photos and print RIPs. It opens in Safari only; other browsers do not display TIFF.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.