CUR vs TIFF Format Comparison
CUR
Windows Cursor
image/x-win-cursor
VS
Tagged Image File Format
image/tiff
TIFF
A complete technical comparison of Windows Cursor and Tagged Image File Format — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
CUR wins on browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | CUR | TIFF |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | Yes | Yes |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | ✕ No | Yes |
| EXIF Metadata | ✕ No | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | ✕ No | Yes |
Windows Cursor
image/x-win-cursor
Extension
.cur
Container
ICO/CUR Container File
Compression
Uncompressed (BMP) / PNG (Supported in newer versions)
Algorithm
None (DIB / BMP)Deflate (If PNG embedded)
Color Depth
1-bit (Monochrome), 4-bit (16 colors), 8-bit (256 colors), 24-bit (True Color), 32-bit (True Color with Alpha)
Developed by
Microsoft Corporation
Released
1985
Magic Bytes
00 00 02 00
Tagged Image File Format
image/tiff
Extension
.tif.tiff
Container
TIFF Tag Directory Structure
Compression
Uncompressed / LZW (Lossless) / ZIP / Deflate (Lossless) / PackBits (Lossless) / CCITT Group 3 / 4 (Fax) / JPEG (Lossy)
Algorithm
LZWZIPPackBitsCCITTJPEG
Color Depth
1-bit (B&W), 8-bit (Grayscale/Palette), 16-bit to 64-bit (RGB/CMYK/Float)
Developed by
Aldus Corporation (Now Adobe Inc.)
Released
1986
Magic Bytes
49 49 2A 00 (Little-Endian) / 4D 4D 00 2A (Big-Endian)
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | CUR | TIFF |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✓ 1
|
✕ |
Firefox
|
✓ 1
|
✕ |
Safari
|
✓ 1.2
|
✓ 1.0+
|
Edge
|
✓ 12
|
✕ |
IE (Legacy)
|
✓
|
✕ |
CUR
CUR Strengths
- Natively supported by Windows for desktop cursor customization
- Widely supported by modern web browsers for custom CSS cursors
- Supports an exact hotspot coordinate, which standard image formats like PNG and JPEG lack
Limitations
- Legacy format that is being gradually replaced by SVG and PNG for web implementations
- Does not support animation (animated cursors use the distinct .ani format)
- The MIME type is highly fragmented across systems (e.g., image/cursor, image/x-win-cursor, application/x-cursor)
TIFF
TIFF Strengths
- Unparalleled flexibility: supports almost any color space (RGB, CMYK, Lab), bit depth, and metadata standard
- Lossless compression algorithms (LZW, ZIP) guarantee zero degradation of image quality
- Supports advanced features like multiple layers, multi-page documents, and alpha channels
Limitations
- File sizes can be massive, especially for uncompressed or multi-layered 16-bit files
- Poor native web browser support, rendering it useless for standard front-end web development
- The format's immense flexibility means some software cannot fully parse complex or proprietary TIFF extensions
When to choose which format
CUR
Use CUR when…
- Operating System Custom Cursors
- Custom Web Browser Mouse Pointers (via CSS)
- Desktop Application UI
TIFF
Use TIFF when…
- Print Publishing & Pre-press
- High-Resolution Photography
- Master Archival Copies
- Medical & Scientific Imaging
- Geospatial Mapping (GeoTIFF)
Convert & Edit Online
Free online web tools for CUR and TIFF files.
Free Image Resizer
Editor
Resize, scale, crop, and modify dimensions for any photo or graphic.
Use Tool
Image Metadata Remover
Privacy
Clean EXIF, camera, lens, and location tags from your photos.
Use Tool
WebP to JPG Converter
Universal
Convert modern web images to universal high-compatibility JPG.
Use Tool
Compress WebP Images
Optimizer
Reduce image file sizes for faster web performance.
Use Tool