Open files in VS Code and Cursor / 3D and imaging
Convert TIFF to PNG without losing quality
PNG is lossless, so a TIFF to PNG conversion keeps every pixel when the tool keeps the bit depth. Many converters save 8-bit only, which drops detail from 16-bit microscopy or scans. TIFF Viewer in VS Code views TIFF for free, and its Pro tool Export pages saves a page or every page as PNG with "stored values": 8 and 16-bit data keep their exact values. Batch convert does a whole folder. Each has 3 free tries, then Zovo Pro is USD 19 once.
Free, MIT license. Extension ID zovo.tiff-viewer, version 0.2.3. Needs VS Code 1.90.0 or newer.
This guide is also in Français, Italiano, Português (Brasil), Polski, 简体中文.
Steps in VS Code
- Install TIFF Viewer from the Marketplace, or press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on macOS) and run
ext install zovo.tiff-viewer. - Click the
.tifor.tifffile in the Explorer. It opens in TIFF Viewer, with a page strip for multi-page files. - Check the pages, channels and bit depth. Viewing is free, offline and without sign-in.
Where Zovo Pro saves time
Viewing TIFF and BigTIFF files, every page, channels, 16-bit and float data and GeoTIFF tags is free.
Export pages lets you pick "as shown" (8-bit, the view you see) or "stored values" (8 and 16-bit data keep their exact values). Signed, 32-bit and float data are mapped to 16 bits over the shown range, and the PNG text says how to get the values back. GeoTIFF pages also get a .pgw world file and a .geojson footprint for QGIS or ArcGIS. Batch convert does every TIFF in a folder and writes convert-report.csv.
With Export pages (Zovo Pro)
- Press Export pages in the toolbar and pick this page or every page.
- Pick "stored values" to keep 16-bit data, or "as shown" for an 8-bit PNG of what you see.
- For a folder, right-click it and run "TIFF Viewer: Batch Convert TIFF Folder to PNG". Choose the first page or every page.
- The PNG files go to a
pngfolder next to the TIFFs, withconvert-report.csvlisting each page, its size and bit depth.
Export pages works 3 times on your computer before it asks for a license, and a try counts only when you get a result. Opening a file shows no popup and no countdown.
Zovo Pro costs USD 19 once. It is not a subscription, and it turns on the Pro tools in every Zovo extension, not only TIFF Viewer. After a card payment (Stripe) your license key shows on the next page. In VS Code, run "Zovo Pro: Enter Zovo Pro license key" from the Command Palette and paste it. The key is checked on your computer, with no network call. With GitHub Sponsors, pick the "$19 one time" tier, then run "Zovo Pro: I already paid: unlock with GitHub Sponsors" and sign in with the same GitHub account. With PayPal, send USD 19 with "Zovo Pro" in the note and the key comes by email within a day.
A team of 5: USD 59 once, by card or by PayPal. Every rule and every Pro tool is on the Zovo Pro page.
Steps in Cursor, Windsurf or VSCodium
- Open the Extensions view with Ctrl+Shift+X (Cmd+Shift+X on macOS).
- Search for
zovo.tiff-viewerand click Install. Cursor, Windsurf and VSCodium install from Open VSX, where it is published aszovo/tiff-viewer. - If your editor has no gallery, download the .vsix from the Open VSX page and run "Extensions: Install from VSIX...".
- Then use it the same way as in VS Code.
What TIFF Viewer handles
- Every page of a multi-page TIFF.
- 8 and 16-bit values kept exactly.
- GeoTIFF world file and footprint.
- A folder with subfolders.
What it does not do
- Float and 32-bit data become 16-bit PNG over the shown range.
- It writes PNG only.
Other options
- ImageMagick.
magick in.tif out.png, ormogrify -format png *.tiffor a folder. Free; check the bit depth flags for 16-bit files. - GIMP or Photoshop. Open and export as PNG, one file at a time.
- Online converters. Many sites convert TIFF to PNG after an upload. Avoid them for private images.
Install counts and Open VSX status were checked on 11 November 2026. Descriptions in quotes are the extensions' own.
Questions
Does TIFF to PNG lose quality?
No, PNG is lossless. Quality is lost only if the tool reduces 16-bit data to 8-bit. Pick "stored values" to keep it.
Are my images uploaded?
No. TIFF Viewer works offline.
Does it work in Cursor or Windsurf?
Yes. Cursor, Windsurf and VSCodium install extensions from Open VSX. Search for the extension in their Extensions view and install it there.
More about TIFF Viewer
Read the TIFF Viewer page for every feature and setting, or the source code on GitHub.
Related guides
- TIFF Viewer & TIF Viewer on the VS Code Marketplace (also on Open VSX). Opens TIFF and GeoTIFF images, 16-bit included, in VS Code.
- Read GeoTIFF coordinates in VS Code
- View STL files in VS Code
- Open DICOM and NIfTI files in VS Code
- Calculate the volume of an STL file
Zovo Pro and support
Zovo Pro: USD 19 once, every Zovo viewer. It turns on the Pro tools in this extension and in the other Zovo extensions you use. The free features stay free.
After a card payment your license key shows on the next page. Paste it with the command "Zovo Pro: Enter a key".
You can also support the work with no Pro:
Need your format supported?
Open a format request with a sample file, and I reply there whether it can be done. For USD 299 once, through this GitHub Sponsors tier, I add your file format or a missing feature to this extension, with tests, within 7 days.