Open Data Network for Standard Image File Formats on the Web
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has released its Digital Still Image Preservation Plan, recommending the Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) as the preferred file format for digital still images. This choice is based on TIFF's lossless compression and its suitability for long-term archival preservation.
TIFF, with its file extension .tiff, is widely accepted in archival institutions due to its stability, lossless compression, and extensive metadata support. This makes it ideal for preserving digital photographic quality over time. Complementary formats such as PNG are also recommended by other preservation agencies, but TIFF remains the primary archival standard.
Other formats like JPEG are typically used for access and delivery due to their lossy compression, but they are generally not recommended for preservation master files. This aligns with practices for high-quality long-term digital image preservation, emphasizing formats that avoid degradation with repeated copying or migration.
The TIFF format's archival robustness is consistent across national archive guidelines, including those by NARA. PNG, with its lossless image storage capabilities, is also considered a suitable alternative for some uses.
In addition to TIFF, other digital still image formats mentioned in the plan include Canon RAW 2.0 (.cr2), Canon RAW 1.0 (.crw), Adobe Photoshop (.psd), Adobe PhotoDeluxe (.pdd), and Computer Graphics Metafile Binary 1 and 2 (with no specific file extension). The CCITT T.4 Group 3 and CCITT T.6 Group 4 compression formats, commonly used for fax image files, are categorized as "others" with specific NARA Format IDs. CALS Compressed Bitmap, with file extensions .ct1 and .ct2, is another digital still image format, but it does not have a specific NARA Format ID provided.
The AV1 Image File Format 1.1, with the file extension .avif, is a digital video and digital still image format, but it is not specifically mentioned in the context of the preservation plan.
In summary, for those seeking to preserve digital still images for the long term, NARA's Digital Still Image Preservation Plan recommends TIFF as the preferred file format, with PNG as a suitable alternative for some uses. Source: NARA's Digital Still Image Preservation Plan
Data-and-cloud-computing systems can be leveraged to manage and store the TIFF and PNG image files suggested by NARA's Digital Still Image Preservation Plan, as these technologies offer scalable storage solutions and high data security. This supports the long-term preservation of digital still images in their original quality.
Technological advancements in data-and-cloud-computing can further help in facilitating efficient access, organization, and processing of TIFF and PNG files, making them easily accessible to researchers and archivists while ensuring their long-term preservation.
