n8n-nodes-tif-pdf

An n8n community node that merges an ordered set of TIFF images — including CCITT Group-4 bilevel microfilm scans — into a single multipage PDF.

It decodes TIFFs with libvips (via sharp), downscales each page to a sane size, and assembles the PDF with pdf-lib. Built for document pipelines that turn scanned microfilm / legacy records into per-record PDFs.

Why

Most n8n PDF options can't handle bilevel CCITT-G4 microfilm TIFFs (the common archival format), and n8n has no native "many images → one multipage PDF" node. This node fills that gap entirely inside your self-hosted n8n — no third-party SaaS, so document bytes never leave your infrastructure.

Node: TIF to PDF

• Input: multiple items, each carrying a binary TIFF. Item order = page order — sort your frames upstream (e.g. an n8n Sort node on the filename) before this node.
• Output: one item whose binary data is the merged PDF.

Parameters

| Parameter | Default | Description | |---|---|---| | Input Binary Field | data | Binary property on each incoming item that holds the TIFF | | Output File Name | merged.pdf | File name for the produced PDF binary | | Max Side (px) | 1500 | Longest-side cap per page before embedding (keeps PDFs small; large scans are downscaled, never enlarged) |

Output item

{ "json": { "fileName": "merged.pdf", "pageCount": 12 },
  "binary": { "data": "<merged PDF>" } }

Example flow

Read frames (S3 / Read Binary Files)
  -> Sort (by file name, ascending)      # ensures correct page order
  -> TIF to PDF                           # this node
  -> Rename / Write Binary File / S3 upload

Requirements

• Self-hosted n8n only. This node depends on the native sharp/libvips binary, which n8n Cloud does not permit for community nodes. Use on self-hosted n8n (Docker, npm, etc.).
• Node.js 18+ (bundled with modern n8n).

Install

In n8n: Settings -> Community Nodes -> Install, enter:

n8n-nodes-tif-pdf

Or from the CLI in your n8n install:

npm install n8n-nodes-tif-pdf

Notes

• The node does not sort — it trusts incoming item order. Put a Sort node before it.
• Handles ordinary (LZW / uncompressed / JPEG) TIFFs as well as CCITT-G4 bilevel.
• Very large scans (e.g. wide microfilm banner strips) are downscaled to Max Side; processing is roughly ~100-150 ms per page.

License

MIT