Skip to main content

Cornell University

Facilities and
Campus Services

Archiving File Formats

Last updated: February 12, 2025
Content created: February 11, 2025

The Facilities Document Archiving team follows the New York State Digital Imaging Guidelines (2022)

New York State Archives’ Digital Imaging Guidelines

From page seven,

"11.1. For master digitized images with retention periods of 10 years or more, including those designated as archival or permanent, only two image file formats are allowed: Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), which is preferred for photographic records, and Portable Document Format Archival (PDF/A), which is preferred for textual documents or hybrid documents with text and images. Lossless compression techniques must be used in either format. Both formats support black and white, grayscale, or color documents."

More about TIFF and PDF/A Formats

Cornell University's Facilities and Campus Services Construction Document Archives uses TIFF and PDF/A file formats.

From a Google search AI overview for TIFF file formats:

"The first version of the Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) was published in 1986 by Aldus Corporation. TIFF was created to store and exchange images between photographers and graphic designers. It was also used in desktop publishing. TIFF is still widely used in the printing and publishing industry. It's also a preferred image format for scanning, faxing, and optical character recognition (OCR) tools. TIFF is supported by most image manipulation software, publishing applications, page layout applications, and word processors.

Reasons to use TIFF:

  • Lossless compression: TIFFs retain their quality over time, even if they're opened, saved, or resized.
  • High-quality printing: TIFFs are a good choice for professional printing because they preserve image details and metadata. 
  • Archival storage: TIFFs are ideal for storing master copies of images that need to be preserved for future use. 
  • Document storage: TIFFs can store multiple pages in a single file, making them useful for storing scanned documents or contracts. 
  • GIS: TIFFs are used for high resolution aerial imagery, including satellite imagery."

From a Google search AI overview for PDF/A file formats:

"The Portable Document Format Archival (PDF/A) format was published in October 2005 by the International Standards Organization (ISO). It was created to establish a standard for archiving electronic files long-term. Use   PDF/A format when you need to ensure a document retains its exact appearance and formatting for long-term storage, as it embeds all necessary fonts, colors, and images within the file, guaranteeing that the document can be viewed accurately even on different devices and with future software versions, making it ideal for archiving important legal documents, research papers, historical records, and other critical information where fidelity over time is crucial. 

Reasons to use PDF/A:

  • Preserves formatting: Unlike a standard PDF, PDF/A prevents any potential changes in appearance by embedding all necessary elements, ensuring the document looks the same regardless of the viewer's system. 
  • Long-term archiving: This format is specifically designed for long-term storage, making it valuable for legal documents, government records, and historical archives where information needs to remain accessible for decades. 
  • Compliance with regulations: Many industries have regulations requiring documents to be stored in a format like PDF/A to ensure data integrity and accessibility. 
  • Accessibility features: PDF/A can incorporate accessibility features like tagged text to make documents readable by assistive technologies."