Will deep zoom work from a hosted PTIF?

No — that needs an image server reading the pyramid and serving tiles on request. Static hosting delivers the file itself, which is what the server would consume.

How do I make a pyramid TIFF?

libvips is the standard tool and handles very large images efficiently. ImageMagick can do it too.

Museums, libraries and map archives, usually behind a IIIF server with OpenSeadragon as the viewer.

Host a PTIF file and share it as a link

Put a pyramid TIFF online at its own address — the format behind deep-zoom viewers in museums and archives.

You can host:

Drop your PTIF file here

Any other file works too — up to 25.0 MB, or 100.0 MB for a whole site

Free to use. Your PTIF file is live at your-name.99helpers.site in about ten seconds.

What is a .ptif file?

A pyramid TIFF holds the same image at several resolutions in one file, so a viewer can load a low-resolution overview instantly and fetch detail only for the region someone zooms into. It's what museums, map archives and IIIF image servers use for gigapixel artwork.

What people use PTIF files for

Digitised artwork and manuscripts
Historical maps in deep-zoom viewers
IIIF image server sources
Very high resolution scans

What opens a PTIF file

IIIF servers like Cantaloupe and IIPImage
OpenSeadragon, as a viewer
libvips and ImageMagick, for creating them
No browser displays PTIF directly

How to host a PTIF file

1
Drop your PTIF file in
Drag it onto the box at the top of this page, or click to choose it. Files up to 25 MB are supported, and nothing is uploaded until you publish.
2
Pick an address
Type a name and we'll tell you straight away whether it's free. That becomes the link: gigapixel-scan.99helpers.site
3
Publish and share
Create a free account — that step exists so the file is yours to update, replace or delete — and the link is live within seconds.

The same three steps work for any file — see how file hosting works on 99helpers.com.

What happens when someone opens the link

The file downloads. Deep zoom needs a server that reads the pyramid and serves tiles — a static file can't do that on its own.

Why host a PTIF file instead of emailing it?

Hosting the file makes it available to whoever runs the image server. Deep-zoom viewing itself needs that server; static hosting delivers the source.

Worth knowing before you publish

Deep zoom requires a IIIF or tile server — hosting the PTIF alone gives people the file, not the viewer.
libvips creates pyramid TIFFs efficiently, even from very large sources.
These files are usually far over 25 MB, so this suits smaller examples.

PTIF hosting questions

Will deep zoom work from a hosted PTIF?: No — that needs an image server reading the pyramid and serving tiles on request. Static hosting delivers the file itself, which is what the server would consume.
How do I make a pyramid TIFF?: libvips is the standard tool and handles very large images efficiently. ImageMagick can do it too.
What uses PTIF?: Museums, libraries and map archives, usually behind a IIIF server with OpenSeadragon as the viewer.

Put your PTIF file online now

It takes about ten seconds, and you only make an account once the file is ready to go live.

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Hosting guides for related formats

Host a TIFF image Host a JPEG 2000 image Host a PNG image Host an OpenEXR image Host a large Photoshop file (PSB)

PTIF is one of over 211 formats you can host — see free file hosting for any file type for the full list, or read the hosting guides for other file types.