TIFF to HEIC Converter
Convert TIFF to HEIC in your browser. TIFF files usually come from scanners, print and publishing workflows, photo archives and tethered camera capture; HEIC is the better fit for storing photos on Apple devices. You get a HEIF file whose picture is JPEG-compressed rather than HEVC, because no HEVC encoder runs in a browser. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
TIFF expected · other image formats also work
How to use TIFF to HEIC
- 1
Add your TIFF files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
Pick the colour that replaces transparent areas, since HEIC has none.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .heic files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for tiff to heic
Where the HEIC goes next
HEIC opens in Apple devices, recent Android phones, and Windows with the HEIF and HEVC extensions.
HEIC next to TIFF
A lossy HEIC usually comes out far smaller than the TIFF, which stores none, LZW, PackBits, Deflate or JPEG, chosen per file.
The first lossy pass
The TIFF holds 1 to 16 bits per channel, or 32-bit floating point with nothing discarded yet. This conversion is the first lossy encode these pixels see, and hard edges and flat colour show it first.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
TIFF vs HEIC
What changes from TIFF to HEIC
Encoding: the TIFF uses none, LZW, PackBits, Deflate or JPEG, chosen per file; HEIC uses lossy HEVC (H.265) intra coding, on iPhones as a grid of 512×512 tiles, and the download is a HEIF file whose picture is JPEG-compressed rather than HEVC, because no HEVC encoder runs in a browser.
Bit depth: 1 to 16 bits per channel, or 32-bit floating point in the TIFF; HEIC allows 8 or 10 bits per channel, and the HEIC written here has 8 bits per channel. 16-bit and floating-point TIFFs are reduced to 8 bits per channel.
Colour: RGB, CMYK, Lab, greyscale or palette, often with an ICC profile in the TIFF; HEIC supports YCbCr, usually tagged Display P3 on iPhones, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the TIFF stores it as an extra sample declared in the ExtraSamples tag; HEIC could hold it as an auxiliary image item, rarely used by cameras, but this writer flattens it, so transparent areas are filled with the colour you choose.
Other images: the TIFF can hold several pages, each in its own image file directory; only the main image is converted.
Metadata: the TIFF can carry EXIF, XMP, IPTC and ICC, all stored as tags; HEIC can carry EXIF, XMP and an ICC profile, stored as items, but nothing is copied across.
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.
TIFF files usually come from scanners, print and publishing workflows, photo archives and tethered camera capture.
About HEIC
HEIC is the default photo format on iPhones and many Android phones. It is about half the size of JPEG, but Windows, many websites and older software cannot open it without converting.
A HEIC is a HEIF file (ISO base media boxes with the brand 'heic'). iPhone photos store the picture as a grid of 512×512 HEVC tiles that the decoder stitches together, with the thumbnail, depth map and HDR gain map as further items.
When converting TIFF to HEIC makes sense
HEIC is the better choice for storing photos on Apple devices, while TIFF suits printing, scanning and archival masters.
HEIC strengths: About half the size of JPEG; Stores depth maps, Live Photos and HDR. Drawbacks to weigh: Not supported by most websites and Windows apps; Patent-encumbered codec.
Limitations
- Only the first page of a multi-page TIFF is converted; split the file first if you need every page.
- CMYK TIFFs from print workflows are converted to RGB, which changes how a print shop's colours are described.
- The file is a valid HEIF, but its picture is JPEG-coded rather than HEVC, so apps that expect HEVC (Apple Photos, Windows' HEVC extension) may not open it.
- The picture inside is JPEG-coded, so the file is about the size of a JPG at the same quality rather than the half size of a camera HEIC.
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting TIFF to HEIC lose quality?
HEIC is lossy, so detail the eye barely notices is discarded to save space. 16-bit and floating-point TIFFs are reduced to 8 bits per channel. Not carried over: any several pages.
What happens to transparency when converting TIFF to HEIC?
TIFF stores transparency as an extra sample declared in the ExtraSamples tag. HEIC has no alpha channel, so transparent pixels are composited onto a solid colour, white unless you pick another. To keep transparency, convert to PNG, WebP or AVIF instead.
Will the HEIC open in Apple Photos?
Not always. The file is a valid HEIF container, but its picture is JPEG-compressed rather than HEVC, because no HEVC encoder can run in a browser. libheif-based apps such as GIMP, darktable and ImageMagick open it; Apple Photos and Windows' HEVC extension expect HEVC and may refuse it. For an iPhone, JPG is the safer choice.
Which apps open HEIC files?
Apple devices, recent Android phones, and Windows with the HEIF and HEVC extensions. It opens in Safari on recent Apple systems; other browsers do not display it.
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.