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Image MIME Reference
CGM

Computer Graphics Metafile

image/cgm
VS

Tagged Image File Format (Legacy MIME)

image/x-tiff
TIFF

A complete technical comparison of Computer Graphics Metafile and Tagged Image File Format (Legacy MIME) — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

Equal browser support

Feature Support

Feature CGM TIFF
Transparency (Alpha) Yes Yes
Animation Support ✕ No ✕ No
Progressive Loading ✕ No ✕ No
HDR Support ✕ No Yes
EXIF Metadata ✕ No Yes
ICC Color Profile Yes Yes
Computer Graphics Metafile
image/cgm
Extension
.cgm
Container CGM
Compression Uncompressed / Binary / Character / Clear Text
Algorithm
Deflate (in some WebCGM profiles)
Color Depth 8-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit
Developed by ISO / IEC
Released 1987
Magic Bytes
00 20 (Binary) / 42 45 47 49 4E 20 4D 45 54 41 46 49 4C 45 (Clear Text)
Full CGM reference →
Tagged Image File Format (Legacy MIME)
image/x-tiff
Extension
.tiff.tif
Container IFD (Image File Directory) Tag Structure
Compression Uncompressed / LZW (Lossless) / ZIP / Deflate (Lossless) / PackBits (Lossless RLE) / JPEG (Lossy) / CCITT Group 3/4 (Fax/Document)
Algorithm
NoneLZWDeflatePackBitsJPEGCCITT
Color Depth 1-bit (Monochrome), 8-bit (Grayscale or Indexed), 16-bit (Per Channel), 32-bit (Float Per Channel)
Developed by Aldus Corporation (Later acquired by Adobe Systems)
Released 1986
Magic Bytes
49 49 2A 00 (Little-endian) or 4D 4D 00 2A (Big-endian)
Full TIFF reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser CGM TIFF
Chrome Chrome
✕ ✕
Firefox Firefox
✕ ✕
Safari Safari
✕ ✕
Edge Edge
✕ ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕ ✕
CGM

CGM Strengths

  • Strictly standardized by ISO, ensuring long-term archiving and cross-platform compatibility in engineering
  • Excellent support for rich metadata, hyperlinks, and technical hotspots via the WebCGM profile
  • Can store complex 2D geometry, rasters, and text in a single lightweight file
Limitations
  • Multiple encoding schemes (Binary, Character, Clear Text) make parser development difficult
  • Zero native support in modern web browsers without third-party plugins
  • Largely replaced by SVG for general-purpose 2D vector graphics on the web
TIFF

TIFF Strengths

  • Universally accepted as the gold standard for high-fidelity archival and professional print workflows
  • Highly adaptable structure supports multiple pages (documents), layers, vast bit depths, and diverse compression algorithms within a single file
  • Unmatched support for rich metadata including EXIF, IPTC, XMP, and custom ICC color profiles
Limitations
  • Produces exceptionally large file sizes compared to modern web formats
  • The 'x-tiff' legacy MIME string forces developers to write extra validation logic to prevent strict security filters from rejecting valid uploads
  • The format's immense complexity means that many lightweight parsers only implement a subset of the specification, sometimes failing to read obscure compressions (like CCITT or old JPEG-in-TIFF)

When to choose which format

CGM
Use CGM when…
  • Technical Illustrations
  • Aerospace & Defense (S1000D)
  • CAD/CAM
  • Geophysics
TIFF
Use TIFF when…
  • Professional Print and Desktop Publishing
  • High-Resolution Archival Scanning
  • Master Copies of Digital Photography

More comparisons

CGM vs ACES → TIFF vs ACES → CGM vs APNG → TIFF vs APNG → CGM vs AVCI → TIFF vs AVCI → CGM vs AVCS → TIFF vs AVCS → CGM vs AVIF → TIFF vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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