TIFF Export Settings for Printing
| Setting | Recommended value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 300 PPI at the final print size |
| Color space | sRGB for consumer labs; Adobe RGB if the lab accepts it; the printer’s CMYK profile for offset printing |
| Bit depth | 8-bit for delivery; 16-bit only if the lab asks for it |
| Compression | LZW or none; never JPEG inside a TIFF |
| Layers and alpha | Flatten layers and remove alpha channels |
| Bleed | Add the bleed your printer specifies (often 1/8 in, about 3 mm) |
When in doubt, ask the print shop for its spec sheet and follow it over any general advice.
Why TIFF Is the Print Industry Standard
Professional print shops prefer TIFF for several technical reasons:
- Lossless quality: No compression artifacts. Every pixel is preserved exactly as the designer intended.
- CMYK support: TIFF natively supports the CMYK color model used by commercial printing presses.
- 16-bit color depth: More tonal information means smoother gradients and more accurate color reproduction, especially important for large-format prints.
- Layer and transparency support: TIFF can preserve Photoshop layers and alpha channels for compositing workflows.
- Rich metadata: TIFF's tag-based system stores IPTC, EXIF, and custom metadata that print workflows rely on.
TIFF vs JPG for Printing
The truth is more nuanced than "always use TIFF":
| Print Type | TIFF Needed? | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Fine art / gallery | Yes | TIFF 16-bit, Adobe RGB or CMYK |
| Large-format poster (24"+) | Yes | TIFF, 300 DPI at print size |
| Magazine / offset printing | Yes | TIFF CMYK, 300 DPI |
| Standard photo prints (4x6, 5x7) | No | JPEG Q90+ is indistinguishable |
| Online print service | No | JPEG Q90+ (most services accept) |
| Business cards / flyers | Depends | TIFF for offset, JPEG for digital |
Practical truth: For standard photo prints (up to 8x10), the difference between a TIFF and a high-quality JPEG is invisible to the naked eye. Print shops cannot reproduce the extra TIFF data on small prints because the printer's physical resolution is the limiting factor, not the file format.
DPI Settings for Print
DPI (dots per inch) is used loosely here for PPI, pixels per inch: how many image pixels land on each inch of paper. Higher DPI means finer detail:
| DPI | Use Case | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 72 DPI | Screen only | Not suitable for printing — will appear pixelated |
| 150 DPI | Draft prints, large banners | Acceptable when viewed from distance (>3 feet) |
| 300 DPI | Standard print quality | Industry standard for photos, magazines, brochures |
| 600 DPI | Fine art, detailed text | Rarely needed for photos; printers resample to their own input resolution |
300 DPI is the answer for most print jobs. It provides excellent quality for photographs, brochures, and magazines. Going above 300 DPI only matters for fine art reproduction or documents with very small text. Going above 600 DPI offers no visible benefit for any consumer print method.
Color Space for Print
- sRGB: The standard for screens and consumer printing. Most online print services and consumer printers expect sRGB. If you are printing through Shutterfly, Snapfish, or similar services, sRGB is correct.
- Adobe RGB: A wider color gamut (covers more greens and cyans). Used by photographers who want maximum color range. Some high-end print shops can reproduce Adobe RGB colors.
- CMYK: The color model used by commercial offset printing presses. Mixing cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks to create colors. CMYK has a smaller gamut than RGB — some bright greens and blues cannot be reproduced.
When in doubt, ask your print shop. Most consumer services accept RGB and handle the conversion internally. Professional offset printing usually requires CMYK. Sending the wrong color space can result in unexpected color shifts.
Bit Depth for Print
- 8-bit (256 tones per channel): Standard for final delivery. Most printers output at 8-bit. Sufficient for all but the most demanding fine art work.
- 16-bit (65,536 tones per channel): Preserves more tonal information for editing. Useful if the print shop will make color adjustments. The final printed output is still 8-bit, but starting with 16-bit gives more editing headroom.
For most print jobs, 8-bit is sufficient. Use 16-bit only if your workflow involves significant color correction after delivery to the print shop.
Compression for Print Files
- LZW: Recommended default. Lossless, universally compatible, reduces file size by 30–50%.
- ZIP: Better for 16-bit images. Lossless with slightly better compression than LZW.
- None: Maximum compatibility if the print shop has strict format requirements.
- Never use JPEG compression inside TIFF for print work. It defeats the purpose of using TIFF.
Converting TIFF to JPG for Proofs
When you need to share proofs with clients, upload previews to a website, or send images via email, converting TIFF to JPG is the practical solution. TIFF files are too large for email (often exceeding 25–50 MB) and cannot be displayed directly in web browsers.
Convert at JPEG quality 90–95 for proofs that accurately represent the final print. Quality 80–85 is fine for quick approvals where file size matters more than pixel-perfect accuracy. The TIFF to JPG converter on this site saves at quality 92, converts CMYK to sRGB and uses the first page of a multi-page TIFF.
Pixels Needed for Common Print Sizes
Pixels needed = print size in inches × 300 PPI.
| Print size | Pixels at 300 PPI | Megapixels |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 in | 1200 × 1800 | 2.2 MP |
| 5 × 7 in | 1500 × 2100 | 3.2 MP |
| 8 × 10 in | 2400 × 3000 | 7.2 MP |
| 11 × 14 in | 3300 × 4200 | 13.9 MP |
| 16 × 20 in | 4800 × 6000 | 28.8 MP |
| 24 × 36 in | 7200 × 10800 | 77.8 MP |
Large posters are viewed from farther away, so 150 PPI is often acceptable: a 24 × 36 in poster at 150 PPI needs 3600 × 5400 pixels (19.4 MP).
How to Save a TIFF for Print in Photoshop and Lightroom
- Photoshop: check Image → Image Size with Resample off and Resolution at 300 Pixels/Inch, then use File → Save a Copy, choose TIFF, pick LZW and select Discard Layers.
- Lightroom Classic: in the Export dialog, choose TIFF, the color space and bit depth, set Compression to None or ZIP, and under Image Sizing set Resolution to 300 pixels per inch.