TIFF vs PNG for Journal Submission: Which Format Should You Use?

"Submit your figures as high-resolution TIFF files" — you have seen this in journal instructions, but what does it actually mean and when should you use PNG instead? This guide explains the practical differences for scientific figure submission.

The short answer

• TIFF for final production submission to print journals (Nature, Cell, Science, PNAS)
• PNG for online-only journals, preprints, and when TIFF is explicitly not required
• EPS/PDF for graphs and diagrams where the vector source is available
• Never JPEG for figures with text, line art, or fine detail

What is TIFF and why do journals prefer it?

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a lossless raster format designed for professional printing and archiving. Key properties:

• Lossless — no quality is lost on save or resave
• Supports high bit depth — 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit per channel
• Supports CMYK — required for print color reproduction
• Supports LZW compression — lossless compression to reduce file size without quality loss
• Supports layers — some journals request layered TIFF files

Journals prefer TIFF because their production teams can convert it to any format needed for print without quality degradation. It is the archival master format.

What is PNG and when is it appropriate?

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a lossless raster format designed for web and screen use. Key properties:

• Lossless — no quality loss on save (unlike JPEG)
• 8-bit or 16-bit depth
• RGB only — no native CMYK support
• Smaller file size than TIFF — important for email-based submission systems with size limits
• Widely supported — every browser, every operating system

PNG is appropriate when:

• The journal explicitly accepts PNG at submission
• Submitting to an online-only journal (no print edition)
• Uploading supplementary figures
• Uploading to a preprint server (bioRxiv, arXiv)
• File size limits prevent TIFF submission

Resolution: the number that actually matters

Many researchers focus on file format and forget that resolution (DPI at the final print size) is what actually determines figure quality. A PNG at 1200 DPI is better than a TIFF at 72 DPI.

The mistake: exporting your figure at screen size (72 DPI) in either TIFF or PNG. Both will be rejected or look blurry in print.

The fix: calculate the physical size first. If your figure will be 89 mm wide at 300 DPI, that is:

89 mm = 3.5 inches → 3.5 × 300 = 1050 pixels wide minimum for photos

For line art at 1200 DPI: 3.5 × 1200 = 4200 pixels wide.

JPEG: why it should never be used for figures

JPEG uses lossy compression — it permanently removes image data every time you save. For scientific figures, this causes:

• Ringing artefacts around text, labels, and fine lines
• Colour banding in smooth gradients
• Loss of fine detail in microscopy and Western blots

Even at "maximum quality" settings, JPEG introduces visible artefacts at the print sizes and resolutions journals require. Use TIFF or PNG — never JPEG for figures.

How to export correctly from common tools

From FigureGuild: Export → select format (TIFF or PNG) → set DPI (300, 600, or 1200) → download. The figure is sized to your panel dimensions automatically.

From Adobe Illustrator: File → Export → Export As → select TIFF or PNG → in the dialog: set Resolution to 300 (or higher) + select Color Model (CMYK for print, RGB for web).

From Inkscape: File → Export PNG Image → set DPI in the dialog (not just pixel dimensions).

From R (ggplot2):

ggsave("figure.tiff", width = 89, height = 60, units = "mm", dpi = 300)
# or for PNG:
ggsave("figure.png", width = 89, height = 60, units = "mm", dpi = 600)

From Python (matplotlib):

fig.savefig("figure.tiff", dpi=300, bbox_inches="tight")
# or:
fig.savefig("figure.png", dpi=600, bbox_inches="tight")

File size considerations

High-resolution TIFF files are large. A full-width Nature figure (183 mm) at 1200 DPI can be 50–200 MB. Many online submission systems have file size limits (10–50 MB per figure). Solutions:

1. Use LZW compression in TIFF (lossless — no quality loss)
2. Use PNG instead (same quality, smaller file size)
3. Submit vector EPS/PDF for graphs (tiny file size, infinite resolution)
4. Check if the journal allows initial submission in lower resolution with high-res requested after acceptance

Summary table

FAQ

My journal says "minimum 300 DPI" — can I use PNG? Yes, if the journal explicitly lists PNG as an accepted format. A PNG at 300 DPI is just as good as a TIFF at 300 DPI for online journals. For print journals, TIFF is still preferred.

Should I use TIFF LZW compression? Yes. LZW is lossless — it reduces file size without any quality loss. It is the standard compression to use for scientific figures.

My TIFF files are too large for the submission system. What do I do? Try PNG (similar quality, smaller file). Or export the figure as a vector PDF/EPS if it contains only line art. If neither works, contact the journal's editorial office — most allow email submission of large files.

Can I convert a JPEG to TIFF and submit the TIFF? No. Converting JPEG to TIFF does not recover lost data — it just wraps a low-quality JPEG in a TIFF container. Always work from the original source file.

What DPI should I use for supplementary figures? Most journals require the same DPI for supplementary figures as for main figures. Check the specific journal's requirements.