Also known as Tagged Image File Format or TIFF. An electronic file copy of a paper document, which contains no embedded text, fonts, or graphics. TIFF images cannot be searched for text and they do not contain metadata. Files in TIFF format often end with a .tif extension. They can be single or multi-page.

Basically, a TIFF file is a picture of how a document looks. Examples of TIFF files include:

Because TIFF files are unsearchable, in a document production counsel typically produce TIFF files with load files, which contain metadata as well as searchable text identified through optical character recognition (OCR) software.

Although TIFF images were widely used for document production historically, counsel now typically produce files in PDF or native format because they have greater functionality.

For more information about identifying and preserving electronically stored information (ESI) during the discovery process, see E-Discovery Project Management Checklist and Practice Note, Duty to Preserve Evidence (Federal).