TIFFs turn up in backfile scanning, records migrations, fax archives and older document productions. They are easy to undercount because the folder view shows one file where there may be two hundred pages.

Why TIFFs need their own method

A multi-page TIFF is an image container. Each page is a frame inside the file. The useful question is not "how many files?" but "how many frames are inside each file?" File Explorer's Pages column stays blank for image files (ILTA), and paging through frames in an image viewer works one file at a time.

Your options

  • Open each file in a viewer that supports multi-page TIFF and page through. Fine for a few files.
  • A TIFF and PDF counter such as Tiff Teller, which counts PDF and TIFF files and reports image details like DPI and compression (CoolUtils). A strong choice when the folder is only TIFF and PDF. See FileTally vs Tiff Teller.
  • FileTally, when the TIFFs sit next to PDFs, Word files, spreadsheets and email.

Counting TIFF frames with FileTally

  1. Choose the top folder of the backlog. Subfolders are included.
  2. Run the scan. Every frame in every multi-page TIFF counts as a page, marked Exact.
  3. Check anything marked Action needed, such as an unreadable file.
  4. Export CSV or XLSX for the quote, or a PDF summary for the client.
FileTally results for a mixed folder of PDF, Word, Excel, TIFF and email files
One scan, every format. PDFs, Office files, TIFFs and email counted together. Demo data.

Everything runs on your PC, and the source files are never modified. If TIFFs are only one slice of the folder, the complete guide covers the rest. FileTally includes a 7-day trial that begins on your first scan.

Questions people ask

How do I count the pages in a multi-page TIFF?

Count its frames. Each page of a multi-page TIFF is a separate image frame. FileTally reads the frame count of every TIFF in a folder and reports it as the page count.

Why doesn't File Explorer show TIFF page counts?

The Pages column in File Explorer shows a page count stored in a file's properties. Image files don't store one, so the column stays blank.

Is there an alternative to Tiff Teller that also counts Word and Excel?

Yes. FileTally counts TIFF frames and also PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, email and text files in the same scan. Tiff Teller counts PDF and TIFF files only.

Can FileTally count TIFFs in subfolders?

Yes. FileTally scans the chosen folder and every subfolder in one pass, then exports one row per file.