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Choosing JPEG or TIFF When Exporting Mac Photos
When exporting photos on a Mac, choose JPEG for small file sizes suited for websites, or use TIFF as a lossless format to transfer between apps.
When exporting photos on a Mac, you can choose JPEG to create small files suitable for use with websites and other photo apps, or TIFF for a lossless file format that works well for transferring photos between computers and apps (Apple Support).
Choosing the Right Export Format
The JPEG format creates small files suitable for use with websites and other photo apps (Apple Support). TIFF provides a lossless file format that works well for transferring photos between computers and apps (Apple Support). You can also choose alternative formats: HEIC is the default image format for Apple devices because it offers a more efficient way to store images without compromising image quality, while PNG is another lossless file format popular for web images and image editing (Apple Support).
Exporting JPEGs from the Photos App
To export images from the Mac Photos app, choose File > Export > Export [number] Photos, and click the Photo Kind pop-up menu to choose the file type for the exported photos (Apple Support). To specify the size, quality, and other export options for a specific file type, click the down arrow beside the Photo Kind pop-up menu (Apple Support).
For JPEG files only, you can use the JPEG Quality pop-up menu to choose a resolution (Apple Support). This setting dictates the number of pixels in the exported image and affects display and printing quality (Apple Support). As a suggestion, verify your intended display or printing requirements before adjusting this resolution.
Exporting TIFF Files from the Photos App
By choosing TIFF from the Photo Kind pop-up menu, you export your image as a lossless file format (Apple Support). For TIFF files only, you can select the 16-Bit tick box to export an image compatible with older 16-bit computer devices (Apple Support).
Changing Formats with Mac Preview
You can also convert an image's file type using Preview on a Mac. Open the file you want to convert, then choose File > Export (Apple Support). Click the Format pop-up menu, then choose formats such as JPEG or TIFF (Apple Support).
Depending on the file format you choose, additional options may appear; for instance, if you choose JPEG or JPEG-2000, you can adjust the image’s quality (Apple Support). If you don’t see the file type you want in the standard list, press and hold the Option key and click the Format pop-up menu to see specialized or older formats (Apple Support).
