Both PSD and TIFF file format works well for storing detailed, large images for editing or later printing, including images with the layers. Though, this kind of formats is not directly equivalent. Many more layout and graphic editing programs make use of TIFF than PSD, and everyone supports little different features. Selecting right file format for the images may help you keep your files small; it preserves quality of image and maintains important information of file while sending images to the artist or printer.
PSD files are usually large, for this kind of lossless images doesn’t use any compression. It preserves all information of image, but could make file itself hard to transfer or email and unwieldy. TIFF images has got preserving layers, less information, but not data, type or other vectors. It produces a small file, even with no compression. You may also compress the TIFF file by using lossless LZW or lossy JPG compression or ZIP methods. It produces significantly small file, but may affect quality of image, especially if one uses the lossy technique.
Both TIFF and PSD formats may preserve layers. In the TIFF, it is called an added capability which requires the saving of file as the copy. Flattened TIFF files are considered small than the files which include layers. TIFF format could just save the layer data for the raster images, though. PSD files could handle the simple vector layers and make them suitable for exporting and importing data from the programs such as Adobe Illustrator. The PSD also supports spot colors, alpha channels, color profiles and masks.
PSD format is basically proprietary format of adobe file. Company doesn’t release the specifications to general public. TIFF format, by the comparison, belongs to the Adobe but it was designed like the simple file type for the flatbed scanners. A lot more graphics programs especially open-source and free utilities, offer TIFF support. The PSD support is usually inconsistent outside of the products of adobe.
PSD files’ large compatibility and size for saving the amounts of the information of file make them perfect selection for the working files. TIFF files are able to preserve lesser information for the later editing, but the compatibility with the many program types and the small size work perfectly for the file transmission. Unless one needs to send extra information present in the PSD file, convert the images to the TIFF before uploading or emailing.