TIF or JPEG quality differences when converting from a RAW file?

Dana C · Jan 11, 2015

I use both Light Room and Photoshop CC. I process my raw pics and save a copy as a JPEG. I have never explored the quality difference between JPEG and TIF photos after the conversion. What do you all think?
I post to my page on Zenfolio JPEGs but I am wondering if TIF' would be a better conversion IQ wise????

Overread · Jan 11, 2015

The big difference isn't image quality it's data storage. TIFF is a lossless format which means that it saves all the data each and every time. It will also typically save layers if you've used them in your editing software. It's a great format for a photo when you want to come back to it and edit it further without having to start at the RAW again.

JPEG is a lossy format which means that to get its file-size down it dumps any data it doesn't need (so there go all your layers); but also each time you save it will lose some data. The first handful of times you won't see this at all - after more though you'll start to see minor degradation - and the more times you save the more it degrades.

Typically I save a "master"copy as a PSD (photoshop file) but a TIFF would work also - at fullsize. Then I save a JPEG resized version for upload on the net.

SCraig · Jan 11, 2015

For sharing or displaying on the web: JPEG
For printing: TIF
For archival storage: RAW

Buckster · Jan 11, 2015

A good start to understanding the difference is that JPGs are 8 bit, while TIFs are typically 16 bit.

Now then, here's a great explanation of the differences between those:

8 Bit Color vs 16 Bit Color - Working With 16 bit Images In Photoshop

That said, I shoot RAW, convert it to 16 bit TIF in Lightroom for output to Photoshop for editing, save the edited file as a Photoshop PSD which I print directly from, and convert to 8 bit JPG for web display as a final conversion, after everything else is done, so that the compression to 8 bit is a one-time loss of image data from the image.

My concern is image quality, rather than file sizes. I maintain enough redundant storage that I keep multiple copies of every one of file stages I work with, the RAWs, the TIFs, the PSDs, and the JPGs. In fact, I'm just about to order another two 4TB hard drives to add to the 20TB I currently have and use.