RFC 3302 (rfc3302) - Page 3 of 8

Tag Image File Format (TIFF) - image/tiff MIME Sub-type Registration

RFC 3302                       image/tiff                 September 2002


      -  TIFF allows the inclusion of an unlimited amount of private or
         special-purpose information.

5.  MIME Definition

5.1  image/tiff

   The image/tiff content-type was previously defined in RFC 1528 as
   containing TIFF 6.0 encoded image data, with specific reference made
   to a subset known as TIFF Class F.  This document redefines the
   original image/tiff definition to refer to TIFF 6.0 [TIFF] encoded
   image data, consistent with existing practice for TIFF aware Internet
   applications.  This definition is further enhanced by introducing the
   new "application parameter" (section 6.2) to enable identification of
   a specific subset of TIFF and TIFF extensions for the encoded image
   data.

5.2  Application parameter

   There are cases where it may be useful to identify the application
   applicable to the content of an image/tiff body.  Typically, this
   would be used to assist the recipient in dispatching a suitable
   rendering package to handle the display or processing of the image
   file.  As a result, an optional "application" parameter is defined
   for image/tiff to identify a particular application's subset of TIFF
   and TIFF extensions for the encoded image data, if it is known.  No
   values are defined in this document.

      Example:

               Content-type: image/tiff; application=foo

   There is no default value for application, as the absence of the
   application parameter indicates that the encoded TIFF image is
   Baseline TIFF or that it is not necessary to identify the
   application.  It is up to the recipient's implementation to determine
   the application (if necessary) and render the image to the user.

   New values for the image/tiff application parameter must be approved
   by the IESG prior to registration.  As a result, the publication of a
   description of parameter values in an RFC is required.

   Guidelines on writing IANA considerations for RFCs can be found in
   RFC 2434.

   An application parameter is a hint to the receiver.  It MUST NOT be
   used as a blind request to execute some arbitrary program.




Parsons & Rafferty          Standards Track