How to Convert TIFF to PNG (Free, No Software Needed)

TIFF files are great for archiving and print workflows. They're terrible for the web, email, or sharing with anyone who doesn't have Photoshop. PNG gives you the same lossless quality, full transparency support, and a file size that won't make people groan.

Here's every free method to convert TIFF to PNG — browser, desktop, CLI, and batch.

Convert TIFF to PNG in Your Browser

Pixotter's converter handles TIFF to PNG entirely in your browser using WebAssembly. Your file never leaves your machine.

1. Go to pixotter.com/convert/
2. Drop your TIFF file onto the upload zone (or click to browse)
3. Select PNG as the output format
4. Click Convert
5. Download the result

No account, no upload limit warning, no watermark. Processing happens locally via wasm-vips, so large TIFFs (including multi-layer ones) convert without a server round-trip.

If your converted PNG is larger than you need, run it through Pixotter's compressor to bring the file size down without losing quality.

Why Convert TIFF to PNG Instead of JPG?

When people convert out of TIFF, they usually reach for JPG by default. PNG is the better choice in these situations:

• Transparency. TIFF supports alpha channels; JPG doesn't. If your TIFF has a transparent background (common in product photography and design assets), PNG preserves it. JPG fills it with white.
• Lossless quality. PNG compression is lossless — every pixel is preserved exactly. JPG introduces artifacts, especially around sharp edges and text.
• Editing workflows. If you're converting for further editing rather than final delivery, PNG keeps all the original data intact. Re-editing a JPG degrades quality with each save.

Convert to JPG when file size is the priority and you're delivering a final image — photos for web pages, email thumbnails, that kind of thing. Need a TIFF to JPG conversion instead? See how to convert TIFF to JPG.

TIFF vs PNG: When to Use Each

Use TIFF for master files, print production, and archiving. Use PNG for web delivery, app assets, screenshots, and anything that needs transparency without JPG's lossy compression.

Want a deeper look at each format? See what is TIFF and what is PNG.

How to Convert TIFF to PNG on Windows

Browser (any Windows version): Use Pixotter as described above. Works on Windows 10 and 11 without installing anything.

Paint (Windows 10/11):

1. Open the TIFF file in Paint (File > Open)
2. Go to File > Save as > PNG picture
3. Name the file and save

Paint works fine for simple conversions. It won't preserve transparency — the background becomes white.

ffmpeg 7.1 (LGPL 2.1+): If you have ffmpeg 7.1 installed, one command handles the conversion:

ffmpeg -i input.tiff output.png

ffmpeg preserves alpha channels. It's the best CLI option for automation or scripting.

How to Convert TIFF to PNG on Mac

Browser: Pixotter works identically on macOS — Safari, Chrome, Firefox, all supported.

Preview (built-in on macOS):

1. Open the TIFF file in Preview
2. Go to File > Export
3. Choose PNG from the Format dropdown
4. Click Save

Preview is fast and handles most TIFFs well. It preserves transparency.

sips (macOS built-in CLI):

sips -s format png input.tiff --out output.png

sips ships with macOS — no installation needed. It's the fastest option for one-off conversions in Terminal.

ffmpeg 7.1 (LGPL 2.1+): Same command as Windows:

ffmpeg -i input.tiff output.png

Install via Homebrew: brew install ffmpeg. Use this when you need consistent behavior across platforms or are automating a pipeline.

Batch Convert TIFF to PNG

Pixotter batch: Pixotter's converter accepts multiple files at once. Drop a folder of TIFFs onto the upload zone, select PNG as the output format, and convert them all in one pass. Everything processes locally.

ffmpeg 7.1 batch (LGPL 2.1+):

On macOS/Linux:

for f in *.tiff; do ffmpeg -i "$f" "${f%.tiff}.png"; done

On Windows (Command Prompt):

for %f in (*.tiff) do ffmpeg -i "%f" "%~nf.png"

On Windows (PowerShell):

Get-ChildItem *.tiff | ForEach-Object {
    ffmpeg -i $_.FullName "$($_.BaseName).png"
}

All three loops process every .tiff in the current directory and output matching .png files alongside them.

For large batches (500+ files), ffmpeg's speed advantage over GUI tools becomes significant. If you're running this regularly, wrap it in a script and add it to your workflow.

If the resulting PNGs are larger than expected, see how to make PNG files smaller — lossless PNG optimization can reduce file size 20-40% without touching image quality.

FAQ

Is TIFF to PNG conversion lossless? Yes. Both TIFF and PNG are lossless formats. Converting between them preserves every pixel exactly. No quality is lost in the conversion.

Will transparency be preserved when converting TIFF to PNG? Yes, as long as your TIFF has an alpha channel and you use a tool that supports it. Pixotter, Preview, ffmpeg, and sips all preserve transparency. Paint does not — it fills transparent areas with white.

Why is my PNG larger than the original TIFF? It's less common, but possible. TIFF files can use LZW or ZIP compression internally; some PNGs compress less efficiently for certain image content. Run your PNG through Pixotter's compressor to optimize it.

Can I convert multi-page TIFFs to PNG? Multi-page TIFFs contain several images in a single file (common in fax documents and scanned PDFs). Pixotter extracts the first page. To extract all pages as separate PNGs, use ffmpeg: ffmpeg -i multipage.tiff frame_%04d.png — this outputs one PNG per page.

Does converting TIFF to PNG reduce file size? Usually yes, significantly. TIFF files are uncompressed or lightly compressed by default. PNG uses DEFLATE compression, which is more efficient for most image content. Expect PNG files to be 30-70% smaller than equivalent TIFFs.

Is ffmpeg free to use commercially? ffmpeg 7.1 is licensed under LGPL 2.1+. It is free for commercial use. Some optional components (enabled at compile time) carry GPL licenses — the standard builds from ffmpeg.org use LGPL. Check the build configuration if you need to verify.