How to convert TIFF to PDF

A TIFF is a picture file, saved as .tif or .tiff, and it often holds a scan or a fax. One file can hold many pages. Most people cannot open it easily, and many forms and inboxes want a PDF. TIFF to PDF turns it into one, and a multi-page TIFF keeps all of its pages.

This guide gives the steps, shows a worked example with a scanned lease, and covers the problems that come up with TIFF files in particular: odd compression, big scans and a browser that will not show the picture.

How do I convert TIFF to PDF?

Add your TIFF files, drag them into order, choose Fit to image, A4 or US Letter, and press Convert to PDF. Then download the file. Each TIFF page becomes a PDF page, so a six-page TIFF gives a six-page PDF.

1. Add your files. Drop your .tif or .tiff files onto the tool, or choose them from your device. JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF and BMP pictures work too, so you can add a photo to the same PDF.
2. Put them in order. Drag the files until the list matches the order you want. A multi-page TIFF keeps its own page order inside the file.
3. Pick a page size. Fit to image makes each page the shape of its picture. A4 and US Letter give you a standard sheet, with portrait, landscape or automatic, and a margin of none, small or large.
4. Press Convert to PDF.
5. Download the finished file and scroll through it once to check every page.

A worked example

A landlord finds an old lease that was scanned years ago and saved as one six-page TIFF. The landlord also has a phone photo of a signed addendum, saved as a JPG. They add the TIFF first and the JPG second, choose US Letter with a small margin, and press Convert to PDF. The result is a seven-page PDF: six lease pages, then the addendum. Running it through OCR PDF afterwards makes the words searchable, since a scan is only a picture of the words.

Does a multi-page TIFF keep all its pages?

Yes. Every full-size page becomes a page in the PDF, in the same order as in the TIFF. Some TIFF files also store small preview copies of their pages. Those previews are skipped, so you do not get extra tiny pages in the middle of your document.

Which TIFF files can it read?

Most of them. Black and white, grey, colour and palette scans all work. So do files saved uncompressed or with LZW, PackBits, Deflate, JPEG or fax compression (Group 3 and Group 4). Each TIFF page is saved in the PDF as a PNG, which keeps every pixel.

If a file uses a format the tool cannot read, it tells you so. Save that picture as a PNG or JPG in another program, then add it again.

Why does my browser not show my TIFF?

Most browsers cannot display TIFF files. TIFF to PDF reads the file itself, so you still see a preview and still get a PDF. The reading happens on your device, not on a server. Once the file is a PDF, any browser can show it.

How big a scan can I convert?

A single TIFF page of more than 100 million pixels is refused. Pictures above 16 million pixels are shrunk to fit the browser's limit before they go into the PDF. Separately, there is a file size limit for your plan, which you can read in the closing note below.

Because pages are saved as PNG, a PDF made from large scans can be big. If it is too big to send, try Compress PDF and read why a PDF is so big first. If your scans came from a phone camera, see how to turn a photo into a PDF for a job application.

Common problems and fixes

• The tool says it cannot read the file. The TIFF uses a format outside the list above. Save it as a PNG or JPG first, then add that.
• The page is refused. A single page has more than 100 million pixels. Scan again at a lower resolution, or save a smaller copy.
• The scan looks softer than before. Pictures above 16 million pixels are shrunk before they go in. Scan at a lower resolution if you want to control it.
• The pages are in the wrong order. Drag the files into order before you convert. A multi-page TIFF keeps its own order, so move the whole file, not single pages.
• You cannot search or copy the text. A scan is a picture. Run the PDF through OCR PDF, which reads English and adds hidden text.
• You need to join this PDF to another one. Use Merge PDF, then check the page order.
• You need to go the other way, from PDF back to TIFF. Use PDF to TIFF.

Where does your file go?

Your TIFF files are read and placed into the PDF in your browser. They are not sent to our servers. That matters for scans of leases, medical papers or IDs. Your original TIFF files are not changed.

A short checklist

• Keep your original TIFF files.
• Add the files in the order you want your pages.
• Choose Fit to image if you do not want any cropping or padding.
• Open the finished PDF and look at every page.
• Run OCR PDF if you need to search the text, and Compress PDF if the file is too big.

2 free uses in total, no account needed. Free files can be up to 50 MB, and Pro allows up to 500 MB.

Sources

• PDFinish's own TIFF to PDF page, for the readable compression types, multi-page handling, the pixel limits and the page size choices, as of November 2026.
• PDFinish's own Image to PDF page, for the margin and orientation choices, as of November 2026.