Convert BMP to TIFF on Mac

Select the BMP files in Finder, press ⌥ F, choose TIFF and press Return. FileFlip saves each TIFF next to its original and works without an internet connection.

Coming soon for MacComing soon · macOS 14 Sonoma or later

Example: IMG_4021.HEIC selected in Finder with FileFlip open next to it, suggesting JPEG, PNG and AVIF, with TIFF, PDF, GIF and ICNS under Other formats.

How to convert BMP to TIFF with FileFlip

Select the BMP files
In Finder or on the Desktop. One file, or a whole folder with ⌘ A.
Press ⌥ F
FileFlip opens next to the selection and lists the formats it can make from BMP. Type “TIFF” to jump to it.
Choose TIFF and press Return
The TIFF files appear next to the originals with the same names. The BMP files stay as they are.

BMP and TIFF

BMP files are uncompressed and take far more space than they need to. TIFF is lossless and accepted by print shops and archives.

What changes when you convert

Both formats are lossless, so the image itself doesn’t change. Only file size and compatibility do.

BMP compared with TIFF
Property	BMP	TIFF
Full name	Bitmap image	Tagged Image File Format
Made by	Microsoft	Aldus, now Adobe
Compression	Usually uncompressed	Usually lossless or uncompressed
Best for	Older software that requires it	Printing, scanning and archiving
Opens in	Windows and most image editors	Preview, Photoshop and most image editors; most web browsers don’t display it
File extension	.bmp	.tiff, .tif
In FileFlip	Opens and saves	Opens and saves

Other ways on a Mac

For one file now and then you may not need FileFlip. These work with what’s already on your Mac.

Preview

Open the BMP in Preview, choose File → Export, pick TIFF from the Format menu and click Save. For several files, open them together, select all thumbnails in the sidebar and choose File → Export Selected Images.

Good for a few files now and then.

Terminal

The sips command converts images in place or into a new file.

sips -s format tiff image.bmp \
  --out image.tiff

Built into macOS and good for scripts. Run sips --formats to see what your macOS version can read and write.

Questions about BMP and TIFF

Does converting BMP to TIFF lose quality?

Both formats are lossless, so the image itself doesn’t change. Only file size and compatibility do.

Can I convert many BMP files at once?

Yes. Select them all in Finder, press ⌥ F and choose TIFF. Progress moves to the menu bar, so you can close the panel and keep working.

Where is the TIFF file saved?

Next to the original, with the same name and the .tiff extension. The BMP file isn’t changed. In Settings you can choose a different folder instead.

Can I convert TIFF back to BMP?

Yes, FileFlip converts TIFF to BMP as well.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. FileFlip converts files on your Mac and works with the internet turned off.

Convert a whole folder of images at once

FileFlip also handles video, audio, PDFs, documents and data files. Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.

Coming soon for Mac