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From: jph@houxa.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Image File Formats
Message-ID: <1719@houxa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 1-Dec-87 11:00:37 EST
Article-I.D.: houxa.1719
Posted: Tue Dec  1 11:00:37 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 4-Dec-87 07:29:32 EST
References: <20906@hi.UUCP> <311@etn-rad.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 32
Summary: Tagged Image File Format

In article <311@etn-rad.UUCP>, jru@etn-rad.UUCP (John Unekis) writes:
> I have been hearing a lot about a new file format for digital images. The
> problem is that it has all been brief phrases in the middle of conversation.
> The name of this format is something like TIP or TIF or TIFF, but it is
> supposed to be all the rage. Does anyone out there know what this format is?
> Who defined it? What type of images does it deal with? Where can I get a
> copy of it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

TIFF stands for Tagged Image File Format.  (Might be Format File, I don't have
a copy of my spec with me so no flames, please.)  It is an alledgedly expandable
format used by a number of companies like Microsoft, HP, Media Cybernetics, Aldus,
and a few others, that defines graphic images by assigning "tags" to data.
There are some standard tags, and others that may be defined by developers.
Supposedly software may use the tags it wishes to support, and ignore the rest.
I have already seen some incompatabilites between TIFF readers from different
software vendors, but I suppose these problems will be ironed out as the format
matures.

I first learned about TIFF when I purchased an HP Scanjet.  TIFF is the format
used by HP to dump image files from the scanner to the host machine.  I have been
succesful writing code using a toolkit supplied by HP to read these images; the
toolkit, along with the current spec, is available from HP.  I suppose the
spec by itself is available from any of the companies involved.

-------
Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all my debts.

Jack Harkins @ AT&T Bell Labs
Princeton Information
(201) 949-3618
(201) 356-7573
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