# What's with multiple page TIFFs?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-multiple-page-tiffs/95944>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 29, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-multiple-page-tiffs/95944 "2001-11-29T16:39:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-multiple-page-tiffs/95944/1 "2001-11-29T16:39:26Z")

</div>

I’ve just been sent a file that is a TIFF. When I open it with Photoshop I can see a single image. However, a colleague printed it out and 6 separate images came out of it. Another product, PicaView says it’s 6@[image\_resolution] but doesn’t show me the other 5 pages. This confounds everything I thought I knew about TIFFs, having worked on the fringes of print for 9 years now.

Anyone got any ideas? Furthermore, how can I get to the other pages?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starfish)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-multiple-page-tiffs/95944/2 "2001-11-29T16:51:28Z")

</div>

The ones I’ve come across are from a FAX to email. That is, the receiving “fax” was a computer. It stored the multiple page images into a single TIF file.

Search for Imaging for Windows, developed by Kodak, “provided to Microsoft”. It is a free program and will open these multi page TIF files.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-multiple-page-tiffs/95944/3 "2001-11-29T17:22:24Z")

</div>

We use these all the time for packets of documents, like the digital equivalent of a staple. Imaging for Windows does work well, as does Adobe Acrobat. I did notice (and have been told by others) that Photoshop, which ought to be the be-all, end-all of consumer imaging software, couldn’t see the extra pages. What’s with that?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-multiple-page-tiffs/95944/4 "2001-11-29T17:27:26Z")

</div>

Thank you. Most elucidating. Sounds like another Microsfot (and Kojak) filetype-hijack.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-multiple-page-tiffs/95944/5 "2001-11-29T17:29:13Z")

</div>

Imaging, which comes as part of Windows and which was originally by Wang and now by Kodak, has no problem opening them. Just install Imaging from control panel - add/remove programs - windows setup -accessories - details etc