Free online TIFF to SVG converter

A design application, website, plotter, or cutting machine may require an SVG instead of a TIFF. The conversion is also useful when a pixel-based image must become scalable artwork, although automatic tracing cannot recover vector geometry that was never present.

What the TIFF format is

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a raster format that stores images as grids of pixels. Scanners, cameras, Photoshop, GIMP, publishing systems, and print-production workflows use TIFF for photographs, scanned documents, maps, line art, and other images that need detailed or lossless storage.

A TIFF can use uncompressed data or compression such as LZW, Deflate, or JPEG, and can store high-bit-depth color, transparency, color profiles, and multiple pages. A TIFF remains raster data even when it contains a simple logo or drawing; its resolution is determined by the stored pixels and resolution metadata.

What the SVG format is

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML-based format that describes paths, shapes, strokes, fills, text, gradients, and filters. Unlike a TIFF, an SVG does not depend on a fixed pixel grid for vector elements.

SVG graphics remain sharp when scaled and are supported by web browsers and many design, illustration, plotting, and cutting applications. They are suitable for logos, icons, diagrams, maps, and simple illustrations. An SVG can be edited in Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Affinity Designer, and compatible code editors.

SVG is not automatically smaller than TIFF. A simple logo may produce a compact SVG, while a detailed trace can contain thousands of paths. Photographs usually remain better as raster images, either separately or as an embedded image inside an SVG.

Convert a TIFF on 101convert.com

1. Open the TIFF-to-SVG converter on 101convert.com.
2. Upload the .tif or .tiff file, select SVG as the output format, and start the conversion.
3. Download the resulting .svg file and open it in the target application.

Check the result before using it for cutting, printing, or production. Some converters create vector paths, while others place the original raster image inside an SVG container. An SVG containing an <image> element still depends on raster pixels and is not equivalent to an SVG made entirely from paths.

Trace the TIFF into vectors with Inkscape

1. Open Inkscape and choose File → Open to import the TIFF. Select the imported image.
2. Choose Path → Trace Bitmap. For monochrome artwork, use Single scan with Brightness cutoff, then adjust the threshold until the preview follows the subject.
3. For a color logo or illustration, use Multiple scans with Colors. Set the scan count near the number of intended color regions; higher counts preserve more detail but create more paths and a larger file.
4. Click Apply. Inkscape places the traced vector over the original TIFF. Move the vector aside, inspect its edges at high zoom, and delete the original TIFF if the output must contain vectors only.
5. Choose File → Save As and select Plain SVG for broader compatibility or Inkscape SVG when Inkscape-specific editability is needed.

Adobe Illustrator provides a comparable workflow: open the TIFF, select it, choose Window → Image Trace, adjust the preset and tracing settings, expand the result into paths, then use File → Export → Export As and select SVG.

Improve tracing quality

• Use a clean, high-contrast TIFF with sufficient resolution. Logos, icons, and line drawings trace more reliably than photographs.
• Crop unwanted borders and remove dust, noise, shadows, and texture before tracing. For a monochrome source, ImageMagick can prepare a thresholded image with magick input.tif -colorspace Gray -threshold 50% prepared.png.
• Reduce the number of colors and remove tiny details when the SVG is intended for a plotter or cutting machine. Excessive nodes can make files slow and difficult to edit.
• Inspect corners, holes, overlapping shapes, and transparent areas after tracing. Automatic vectorization estimates boundaries from pixels and may create inaccurate or fragmented paths.

Compatibility and quality limits

Conversion cannot restore original vector geometry. Anti-aliased edges, compression artifacts, blur, shadows, and small text can produce inaccurate outlines or excessive nodes. A photograph should normally remain a raster image rather than being traced into thousands of unrelated shapes.

TIFF pages and layered editing data may not transfer to a single SVG document. Export each required page separately and verify transparency, color, and dimensions. CMYK values, ICC profiles, filters, clipping paths, linked images, and application-specific SVG features can render differently in browsers, cutting software, and older design programs.

Convert text to paths when exact appearance is required and the receiving application may not have the fonts. Keep an editable source copy with live text, because path conversion removes normal text editing.