Film to PhotosTIFF or JPEG for film scans and archiving?
Should you save film scans as TIFF or JPEG? What you lose with JPEG, when 16-bit TIFF is worth the space, how much storage you need, and a simple way to keep both.
Save JPEG copies for sharing and everyday viewing, and keep a lossless master — 16-bit TIFF or the original scans — for the archive. JPEG is about a tenth of the size and looks the same on screen; TIFF keeps every bit of detail and color so you can edit or reprint heavily later without banding.
Use JPEG when
- You want to share, email or upload photos, or put them in Apple Photos.
- You care about storage: a JPEG is about a tenth of the size of a TIFF.
- You won't make big edits later.
Use TIFF when
- You're archiving family photos you may print large or edit heavily later.
- You want 16 bits per color channel, which avoids banding in skies and shadows after big edits.
- You want a "master" that never loses quality when re-saved.
How much space?
| 16-bit TIFF | High-quality JPEG | |
|---|---|---|
| One photo at 3600 dpi | about 100 MB | about 5–10 MB |
| One 36-photo roll | about 3.6 GB | about 300 MB |
| 50 rolls (1,800 photos) | about 180 GB | about 15 GB |
A 2 TB external drive holds about 500 rolls as TIFF. Always keep a second copy somewhere else.
The simple answer
Save JPEGs for everyday use and keep the original scans. Film to Photos keeps the untouched original scans in a "Negatives" folder by default, so any photo can be redone later, while you share the JPEGs. If you want a finished master too, save the roll a second time as TIFF.
Back it up
A file on one drive isn't archived. Keep at least two copies, one in a different place (an external drive at a relative's house, or a cloud backup). See how to organize scanned family photos.
Quick answers
Should I save scanned negatives as TIFF or JPEG?
JPEG for sharing and everyday use; 16-bit TIFF for archiving and heavy editing. Keeping the original scans as well lets you redo a photo later.
Does JPEG lose quality?
Slightly. At high quality settings it's very hard to see. JPEG has 8 bits per color channel, so strong edits later can show banding in skies; 16-bit TIFF avoids that.
Is TIFF or JPEG better for archiving family photos?
TIFF is the safer master copy because it's lossless; many archives use it. A high-quality JPEG copy is fine for everyday use and will open on any device for decades.
Does a JPEG lose quality every time I open it?
No. Opening, viewing or copying a JPEG doesn't change it. Quality is only lost when you edit and save it again as JPEG.
How much storage do I need for scanned negatives?
At 3600 dpi, about 100 MB per photo as 16-bit TIFF and 5–10 MB as JPEG. A 36-photo roll is about 3.6 GB in TIFF or 300 MB in JPEG.