# Software opinions: converting .jpg files to .tif files, cheap **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 26, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-opinions-converting-jpg-files-to-tif-files-cheap/579830 "2011-04-26T22:53:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-opinions-converting-jpg-files-to-tif-files-cheap/579830/1 "2011-04-26T22:53:14Z")
I need an inexpensive but respectable (i.e. my IT department will allow me to install it) program for converting .jpg files to .tif files. Batch mode or one at a time is ok, we do maybe 20 or 30 per week. I don’t believe I will be allowed to install freeware or shareware. Anyone used one that they like, or that they would steer me away from? Roddy ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-opinions-converting-jpg-files-to-tif-files-cheap/579830/2 "2011-04-26T23:09:28Z")
[GIMP](http://www.gimp.org/) is as about as respectable and as free as they come. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-opinions-converting-jpg-files-to-tif-files-cheap/579830/3 "2011-04-26T23:09:52Z")
IrfanView will do this, I think. It’s free for home or educational users, but commercial users need to pay for it, so it fits the bill. It’s $10. Not really sure why you’d bother converting from a lossy format to a lossless one after the damage is done (I assume you’re going for lossless tiffs), but whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-opinions-converting-jpg-files-to-tif-files-cheap/579830/4 "2011-04-26T23:14:06Z")
You’re looking for [XnView](http://www.xnview.com/en/index.html). It’s a great free program that’ll convert almost any file type ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-opinions-converting-jpg-files-to-tif-files-cheap/579830/5 "2011-04-26T23:38:49Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > IrfanView will do this, I think. It’s free for home or educational users, but commercial users need to pay for it, so it fits the bill. It’s $10. > > Not really sure why you’d bother converting from a lossy format to a lossless one after the damage is done (I assume you’re going for lossless tiffs), but whatever. Thanks. We’re taking images from the internet (legally) and printing them in a publication; the software for the publication requires .tif. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-opinions-converting-jpg-files-to-tif-files-cheap/579830/6 "2011-04-26T23:56:21Z")
[ImageMagick is a great way to automate the process](http://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php) assuming you can do this on an OS with a reasonable command line (that is, if you’re on Windows install [Cygwin](http://www.cygwin.com/) first). If you’re doing this for a ton of different files and are doing the same thing to each one (no individual tweaking) it’s the most efficient way by far, and it will handle any image format you’ve heard of. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-opinions-converting-jpg-files-to-tif-files-cheap/579830/7 "2011-04-27T03:31:58Z")
Are you sure the publication software requires TIFs? That would be an unusual requirement for any modern page layout software. Or did someone back in 1991 just lazily write “for best results use TIFs?” ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-opinions-converting-jpg-files-to-tif-files-cheap/579830/8 "2011-04-27T04:34:12Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > Are you sure the publication software requires TIFs? That would be an unusual requirement for any modern page layout software. > > Or did someone back in 1991 just lazily write “for best results use TIFs?” It’s complicated and proprietary, and it’s not page layout software, it’s classified ad composition software. Yes, I’m sure. Thanks, all, for the suggestions. The user (not, actually, me) is not very technical so I don’t think command line operations are the way to go. From the websites GIMP looks like a good bet, but we’ll see what IT says about it. Roddy