TIFF 6.0 Specification
Final—June 3, 1992
Section 19: Data Sample Format
This section describes a scheme for specifying data sample type information.
TIFF implicitly types all data samples as unsigned integer values. Certain applica-
tions, however, require the ability to store image-related data in other formats
such as floating point. This section presents a scheme for describing a variety of
data sample formats.
Fields
SampleFormat
Tag
= 339 (153.H)
Type = SHORT
N
= SamplesPerPixel
This field specifies how to interpret each data sample in a pixel. Possible values
are:
1 = unsigned integer data
2 = two’s complement signed integer data
3 = IEEE floating point data [IEEE]
4 = undefined data format
Note that the SampleFormat field does not specify the size of data samples; this is
still done by the BitsPerSample field.
A field value of “undefined” is a statement by the writer that it did not know how
to interpret the data samples; for example, if it were copying an existing image. A
reader would typically treat an image with “undefined” data as if the field were
not present (i.e. as unsigned integer data).
Default is 1, unsigned integer data.
SMinSampleValue
Tag
= 340 (154.H)
Type = the field type that best matches the sample data
N
= SamplesPerPixel
This field specifies the minimum sample value. Note that a value should be given
for each data sample. That is, if the image has 3 SamplesPerPixel, 3 values must
be specified.
The default for SMinSampleValue and SMaxSampleValue is the full range of the
data type.
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