Skip to main content

Multi-page TIFF Files

A TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a common format for scanned documents, especially in archival and library settings. Some TIFF files contain multiple pages in a single file — for example, a 10-page letter scanned as one .tiff file.

When The Archiver detects a multi-page TIFF, it gives you a choice about how to handle it.

The two options​

When a multi-page TIFF is detected during Classification Review, you'll see a choice card:

Option 1: Process as document​

The pages are combined into a single PDF document, OCR is run across all pages, and it's treated as one item in your archive.

Best for:

  • Multi-page letters or reports where all pages belong together
  • Documents where the page order and sequence matter
  • Items you want to reference as a single item (e.g. "Annual Report 1953")

Option 2: Split into N images​

Each page is extracted as a separate JPEG image and added to the accession as individual files. The original TIFF is marked as "split" and the individual pages become child items.

Best for:

  • Collections of unrelated single-page items scanned together for convenience
  • Photograph albums where each page is an independent image
  • Situations where each page needs its own metadata

Making your choice​

During Classification Review:

  1. Find the multi-page TIFF in the file list — it will have a special card showing the number of pages
  2. Choose Process as document or Split into N images
  3. The AI processes your choice and creates the appropriate records
tip

When in doubt, process as document. You can always search within the combined document. Splitting is harder to undo and creates many individual records to manage.

After splitting​

If you choose to split:

  • The original TIFF is marked as "split" — it remains in the accession as a reference but is no longer the primary item
  • Each extracted page gets its own title, thumbnail, and metadata
  • The AI classifies each page individually
  • Page numbers are added to each file title automatically (e.g. "Album Pages — Page 1 of 24")

Navigating multi-page documents​

For documents processed as a single item, you can navigate pages:

  • In the file viewer, use the ← → arrows to page through
  • On your keyboard, use the left/right arrow keys
  • The current page number and total are shown in the toolbar