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Image MIME Reference
PSD

Adobe Photoshop Document

image/vnd.adobe.photoshop
VS

Tagged Image File Format (Legacy MIME)

image/x-tiff
TIFF

A complete technical comparison of Adobe Photoshop Document 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 PSD TIFF
Transparency (Alpha) Yes Yes
Animation Support Yes ✕ No
Progressive Loading ✕ No ✕ No
HDR Support Yes Yes
EXIF Metadata Yes Yes
ICC Color Profile Yes Yes
Adobe Photoshop Document
image/vnd.adobe.photoshop
Extension
.psd.psb.pdd
Container Adobe Photoshop Document (PSD/PSB)
Compression Uncompressed / RLE (Run-Length Encoding) / ZIP
Algorithm
RLEZIP (with or without prediction)None
Color Depth 1-bit (Bitmap), 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit (Float/HDR)
Developed by Adobe Systems
Released 1990
Magic Bytes
38 42 50 53
Full PSD 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 PSD TIFF
Chrome Chrome
✕ ✕
Firefox Firefox
✕ ✕
Safari Safari
✕ ✕
Edge Edge
✕ ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕ ✕
PSD

PSD Strengths

  • The undisputed global standard for layered raster graphics and non-destructive image editing
  • Supports incredibly complex compositions combining raster data, vector shapes, live text, and adjustment layers
  • Full support for advanced color spaces (CMYK, Lab, multi-channel) and 32-bit floating-point HDR workflows
Limitations
  • Proprietary format: while the specification is published, complete feature-parity is rarely achieved by third-party software (e.g., smart objects and complex layer styles often break)
  • Files can reach enormous sizes (gigabytes) due to the preservation of unflattened, high-resolution layer data
  • Zero support for native rendering in web browsers or standard mobile image viewers
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

PSD
Use PSD when…
  • Professional Photo Retouching
  • Digital Painting and Illustration
  • UI/UX Design Workflows
  • Graphic Design and Print Production
TIFF
Use TIFF when…
  • Professional Print and Desktop Publishing
  • High-Resolution Archival Scanning
  • Master Copies of Digital Photography

More comparisons

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