ICO to TIFF Converter
Convert ICO to TIFF in your browser. ICO files usually come from website favicons, Windows programs and installers; TIFF is the better fit for printing, scanning and archival masters. You get an uncompressed 8-bit RGBA TIFF with the resolution recorded. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
ICO expected · other image formats also work
How to use ICO to TIFF
- 1
Add your ICO files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the TIFF is written uncompressed. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .tiff files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for ico to tiff
Where the TIFF goes next
TIFF opens in Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP, Affinity, macOS Preview, Windows Photos and print RIPs.
TIFF next to ICO
The TIFF is written uncompressed, so expect it to be several times larger than the ICO, which stores each size stored as a headerless BMP or as a complete PNG.
Written without a lossy pass
The TIFF is written uncompressed, so the pixels decoded from the ICO arrive unchanged.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
ICO vs TIFF
What changes from ICO to TIFF
Encoding: the ICO uses each size stored as a headerless BMP or as a complete PNG; TIFF uses none, LZW, PackBits, Deflate or JPEG, chosen per file, and the download is an uncompressed 8-bit RGBA TIFF with the resolution recorded.
Bit depth: 1 to 32 bits per pixel, set per size in the ICO; TIFF allows 1 to 16 bits per channel, or 32-bit floating point, and the TIFF written here has 8 bits per channel.
Colour: RGB or a palette, per image in the ICO; TIFF supports RGB, CMYK, Lab, greyscale or palette, often with an ICC profile, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the ICO stores it as 8-bit alpha in 32-bit and PNG entries, or a 1-bit mask in old icons; the TIFF keeps it as an extra sample declared in the ExtraSamples tag.
Other images: the ICO can hold several sizes of the same picture, typically 16, 32, 48 and 256 px; only the main image is converted.
Metadata: the ICO can carry only a directory of the sizes inside, with no EXIF; TIFF can carry EXIF, XMP, IPTC and ICC, all stored as tags, but nothing is copied across.
About ICO
ICO is a container that bundles several sizes of the same icon (16, 32, 48, 256 px) into one file. It is still the most compatible format for website favicons and Windows app icons.
An ICO starts with a 6-byte ICONDIR (type 1 for icons) and a 16-byte entry per image giving width, height, colour count and offset. Each image is either a BMP without its file header plus an AND mask, or a complete PNG.
ICO files usually come from website favicons, Windows programs and installers.
About TIFF
TIFF is the professional archive and print format. It can hold multiple pages, high bit depths and lossless data, and is common in scanning, publishing and GIS.
A TIFF begins with 'II' or 'MM' for the byte order and the number 42, then an offset to the first image file directory (IFD): a table of tags giving the size, compression, colour model and the location of the strips or tiles of pixels. Each further page is another IFD.
When converting ICO to TIFF makes sense
TIFF is the better choice for printing, scanning and archival masters, while ICO suits favicons and Windows icons.
TIFF strengths: Lossless and print-ready; Multiple pages in one file; Preferred by print shops and archives. Drawbacks to weigh: Very large files; Browsers cannot display it; Many variants and compression schemes.
Limitations
- The largest image in the icon is the one converted; smaller sizes that were hand-tuned for 16 px are not carried over.
- The TIFF is written uncompressed for maximum compatibility, so it is large; print shops and archives generally expect that.
- Browsers other than Safari do not display TIFF, so it is not a format for the web.
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting ICO to TIFF lose quality?
TIFF is written uncompressed, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Not carried over: any several sizes of the same picture.
Is transparency kept in the TIFF?
Yes. ICO stores it as 8-bit alpha in 32-bit and PNG entries, or a 1-bit mask in old icons, and the TIFF is written with an alpha channel, so transparent areas stay transparent.
Which apps open TIFF files?
Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP, Affinity, macOS Preview, Windows Photos and print RIPs. It opens in Safari only; other browsers do not display TIFF.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.