Free online SKETCH to TIF converter

A print, publishing, scanning, or archival application may require a TIFF raster image instead of an editable Sketch document. Converting the file also makes the artwork usable in image editors and workflows that do not support .sketch.

What the SKETCH format is

SKETCH is the native document format of Sketch, a macOS design application used mainly for interface layouts, icons, wireframes, prototypes, and other screen designs. A .sketch document stores editable layers, vector shapes, text, symbols, artboards, and embedded or linked assets; it is not a standard raster image.

Sketch files are primarily used by UI and product designers. Their editable structure does not transfer to TIFF, so exporting produces a flattened image of the selected artboard or layer rather than a TIFF with the original Sketch layers and prototype behavior.

What the TIF format is

TIF and TIFF are two extensions for the Tagged Image File Format. TIFF is a raster format used in printing, scanning, desktop publishing, photography, medical imaging, and image archiving.

TIFF can store high bit depths, color profiles, transparency, and lossless compression such as LZW or ZIP. It can also support multipage documents in some workflows. TIFF files are usually much larger than JPEG files, and TIFF support for layers, pages, compression types, and alpha channels varies between applications; it should not be assumed that every TIFF reader supports every feature.

How to convert the file in Sketch

1. Open the .sketch document in Sketch for Mac.
2. Select the artboard or layer to export. Select each artboard separately when separate TIFF files are required.
3. Use the Export control in the Inspector or choose File → Export.
4. Choose TIFF as the export format, set the required scale or pixel dimensions, and configure transparency if the export options provide it.
5. Choose the destination and export the file. Sketch writes a .tif or .tiff raster image.

Sketch versions that do not offer TIFF in the export format list can export PNG or PDF instead. PNG is suitable when the required pixel dimensions are already known. PDF retains vector geometry until rasterization and is usually preferable for typography or line art that must be rendered at a specified print resolution.

How to convert an exported file

For a PNG exported from Sketch, macOS Preview can create the TIFF without additional command-line tools: open the PNG, choose File → Export, set Format to TIFF, and save it. This changes the container format but does not restore detail beyond the PNG's existing pixel dimensions.

ImageMagick provides a desktop command-line alternative:

magick design.png -compress LZW design.tif

To rasterize a PDF at 300 DPI before writing a compressed TIFF, use:

magick -density 300 design.pdf -compress LZW design.tif

Replace 300 with the resolution required by the print workflow. PDF conversion may require Ghostscript, depending on the ImageMagick installation. For multipage PDFs, use an output pattern such as design-%03d.tif when separate TIFF files are needed.

You can also convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software: upload the SKETCH file, select TIF as the output, start the conversion, and download the result. Uploading a source document sends its contents to an online processing service, so use a desktop workflow for confidential designs. Linked assets or unsupported Sketch features may also reduce fidelity in a non-Sketch converter.

Quality and compatibility limits

• Changing design.sketch to design.tif only renames the file; it does not convert its internal structure.
• TIFF export rasterizes text, vectors, effects, and images. Fonts, symbols, prototypes, comments, animations, and interactive behavior are not preserved as editable Sketch content.
• Export scale controls the resulting pixel dimensions. A TIFF made from a small PNG cannot gain genuine detail by adding a higher DPI value afterward.
• Use PDF followed by controlled rasterization when a defined DPI is more important than retaining Sketch export settings. Check fonts, blend modes, masks, shadows, and color profiles after conversion.
• Preserve transparency only when the receiving application supports alpha TIFF. Otherwise, place a white or other required background behind the artwork before export.
• Confirm the required color mode, bit depth, compression, page structure, and file extension with the print or archival system; some systems accept only baseline RGB or CMYK TIFF and reject alpha, multipage, or high-bit-depth variants.