tiffinfo

tiffinfo [ options ] filename...

--help
    Display a help message and exit.

--version
    Display version information and exit.

-D
    Print raw tag values (hex and ASCII) for all tags, including private tags.

-h
    Print header information only; do not scan through image data.

-j
    Output information as a single JSON object. This option is available in libtiff versions 4.5.0 and newer.

-L
    Print tag values literally (e.g., numbers instead of symbolic names).

-o offset
    Set the initial TIFF directory offset to offset.

-q
    Suppress warning messages (quiet mode).

-R
    Print raw tag values (hex and ASCII) for known tags only.

-s
    Print the size of each image (width and height).

-u
    Print uncompressed data size.

-v
    Enable verbose mode, printing the contents of each TIFF field. This is the default behavior.

-w
    Enable warning messages. This is the default behavior.

-c
    Count and print the number of strips or tiles for each image.

-f
    Print pixel format information (e.g., RGB, CMYK).

-i
    Print image dimensions (width, height, samples per pixel, bits per sample).

-M
    Print image data organization information (e.g., PlanarConfiguration).

-P
    Print prediction scheme information (e.g., Predictor tag).

-x
    Print extra samples information.

-y
    Print YCbCr color space information.

-z
    Print ZLib compression information.

tiffinfo is a powerful command-line utility designed for inspecting and debugging Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) files. It provides a comprehensive breakdown of a TIFF file's structure, starting with its header, and then detailing each individual image (or directory) contained within.
For each image, tiffinfo presents a wealth of information, including various tag contents, image dimensions (width, height, bits per sample, samples per pixel), applied compression schemes, and pixel formats.
This tool is invaluable for developers, graphic professionals, and users who need to deeply understand the internal structure and properties of TIFF images, making it essential for diagnosing file corruption, verifying metadata, or analyzing image characteristics. It often serves as a foundational inspection tool when working with the broader libtiff utility suite.

The -j (JSON output) option is a relatively new feature introduced in libtiff 4.5.0. It may not be available on older systems or distributions.
The command's output can be very verbose, especially without specific filtering options, making it suitable for programmatic parsing or detailed manual inspection.

By default, tiffinfo provides a detailed output, including the contents of each TIFF field. The -v option explicitly reiterates this default verbose behavior.
Tag values are typically printed symbolically (e.g., "MINISWHITE" for a PhotometricInterpretation value of 0) for better human readability.
To view the literal numeric values of tags instead, the -L option can be used.

tiffinfo is a core utility of the libtiff software suite, which has been under continuous development since the early 1990s. Its fundamental role in providing detailed insight into TIFF file structures has remained constant, with incremental enhancements and new options (such as JSON output) being added over time to support modern requirements and improved usability.

tiffdump(1), tiffsplit(1), tiffcp(1), libtiff(3TIFF)