ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Tag Image File Format / Electronic Photography

Do you like taking pictures with a camera or a phone? When you take a picture, it is saved in a special way called the image file format. One of the most popular image file formats is called the Tag Image File Format, or TIFF for short.

Think of TIFF like a special kind of backpack that keeps all the important information about your picture safe, like how big the picture is, how many colors it has, and where the different parts of the picture are.

Now, when you take a picture with a digital camera or phone, the camera uses something called an image sensor to capture the light and turn it into a digital signal. This digital signal is the basis for your picture.

But before you can see your picture on your camera or phone, it needs to be converted from a digital signal to an image file format like TIFF. This is like taking your backpack and unpacking it so you can see what's inside.

Once your picture is in the TIFF format, you can do all sorts of things with it. You can edit it, send it to your friends, or even print it out and put it on your wall. The TIFF format makes sure that all the important information about your picture stays safe so you can enjoy it for years to come.