The TIFF format was developed as a portable method of storing bitmap images. This format provides the most flexibility and the highest quality among the bit mapped graphics formats, but the files require the most space and memory, especially for high-resolution images.

TIFF files come in monochrome, 16-color, 256-color, 16-color gray scale, 256-color gray scale, and 16.7 million-color (24-bit) varieties.