Convert TIFF to JPG on Mac

A print shop returns TIFF proofs. A scanner saves archival TIFF at 600 dpi. Email and CMS want JPEG. TIFF preserves quality for print pipelines; JPEG is the share format. Convert TIFF to JPG on Mac with Preview for a few files or sips and FFmpeg for folders. Resize to display width before export so a 40 MB TIFF does not become a 15 MB JPEG at full resolution.

A folder of forty scan TIFF files at 600 dpi can exceed email limits even after JPEG conversion at full resolution. Cap long edge before share.

TIFF vs JPEG on Mac

Format	Typical use
TIFF	Print, scan archive, lossless intermediate
JPEG	Web, email, CMS, client review

Source TIFF	Export approach
Flat scan, no alpha	Preview or sips, q85
Multi-page TIFF	Export pages from Preview sidebar
Huge dpi	Resize before JPEG

Keep TIFF masters when print may rerun. Write JPEG to deliverables/jpeg/.

See PNG to JPG on Mac for similar lossy export rules. For PDF page exports to JPEG, see PDF to JPG on Mac .

Mistake to avoid	Why
Full-res JPEG to email	Bounce or client frustration
Skipping zoom check on text scans	Illegible signatures go live
Overwriting TIFF master	Lost print archive

Convert in Preview

1. Open TIFF in Preview.
2. File → Export… → JPEG, set Quality.
3. Save with a new filename.

Multi-page TIFF: use thumbnail sidebar, export each page or merge to PDF first if the workflow needs one document.

Quality	Use when
85 to 90	Client proofs
80	Web gallery
70	Thumbnails only

Check one export at 100% zoom on text scans before batching.

Preview preserves TIFF sharpness better than re-saving through lossy steps. Export JPEG once, then compress if needed.

For a single page from a multi-page TIFF, select the page in the sidebar before Export.

Batch with sips and FFmpeg

sips one file:

sips -s format jpeg -s formatOptions 85 scan.tiff --out scan.jpg

Folder batch:

mkdir jpg-out
for f in *.tif *.tiff; do
  sips -s format jpeg -s formatOptions 85 "$f" --out "jpg-out/${f%.*}.jpg"
done

Resize and convert:

sips -Z 2400 -s format jpeg -s formatOptions 85 scan.tiff --out scan-2400.jpg

FFmpeg:

ffmpeg -i scan.tiff -vf scale=2400:-2 -q:v 3 scan.jpg

Batch with FFmpeg:

mkdir jpg-out
for f in *.tiff; do
  ffmpeg -i "$f" -vf scale=2400:-2 -q:v 3 "jpg-out/${f%.tiff}.jpg"
done

sips is fast and built in. FFmpeg helps when you already use it for video deliverables in the same pipeline.

Keep full/ and web/ folders separate so you can re-export if a client requests higher resolution.

Scans and print exports

Issue	Fix
TIFF still huge as JPEG	Lower dpi via resize first
Color shift	Export sRGB JPEG
Multi-page scan	Preview sidebar per page

Scanned TIFF files at 600 dpi are oversized for web. Cap long edge at 2400 px for listing photos, 1920 px for screen review.

See how to compress images on Mac when the JPEG folder still blocks upload.

Insurance and HR packets often need legible text at 100% zoom. Spot-check one page before batch send.

For PNG scans with transparency, see PNG to JPG on Mac when the portal requires JPEG only.

Using GetCompress

GetCompress fits convert TIFF to JPG on Mac follow-up: batch resize and compress exported JPEG folders.

• Max width and quality presets across scan batches.
• Quality presets for portal caps.
• Preview text scans before upload.
• Local processing for confidential documents.
• Folder monitoring on scanner output folders.

Use Preview or sips for TIFF to JPEG conversion. Use GetCompress when dozens of scans need the same width before email.

GetCompress does not replace scan software for deskew or page split. Export JPEG from Preview or sips first, then GetCompress for consistent delivery sizing across the whole folder. When a portal rejects the first upload, tweak quality once in the saved preset rather than re-exporting from TIFF unless the source scan changed.

Keep TIFF masters on archive storage. Write compressed JPEG deliverables to a separate folder so you can re-export at higher quality if a client requests it later.