The .TIF extension stands for tagged image files. These are one of the popular file formats for storing digital graphics and images. The file is also sometimes referenced as TIFF file.

The file structure for a tagged image file is a versatile one and allows multiple layers and page support. The file is designed in such a way that several different encoding implementations can be used for writing the data. The file supports both compressed as well uncompressed mode of storage. Most commonly, the TIF files carry either a JPEG lossy compression or the LZW techniques of lossless compression.