Image format

TGA

A straightforward raster format from Truevision, with optional RLE compression and alpha for compatible texture workflows.

Explore the format

Convert TGA to

Choose a target format for your TGA images.

JPEGJPEGTGA → JPEG PNGPNGTGA → PNG WebPWebPTGA → WebP AVIFAVIFTGA → AVIF HEICHEICTGA → HEIC HEIFHEIFTGA → HEIF

All 21 conversions

GIFGIFTGA → GIFWith caveat TIFFTIFFTGA → TIFF BMPBMPTGA → BMP ICOICOTGA → ICO JPEG XLJPEG XLTGA → JPEG XL JPEG 2000JPEG 2000TGA → JPEG 2000 QOIQOITGA → QOI PCXPCXTGA → PCX PPMPPMTGA → PPM PGMPGMTGA → PGMWith caveat PBMPBMTGA → PBMWith caveat PAMPAMTGA → PAM HDRHDRTGA → HDR EXREXRTGA → EXR PDFPDFTGA → PDF

Marked paths may need steps such as flattening, rasterization, tone mapping or animation loss.

Convert to TGA

Choose a source format to convert to TGA.

JPEGJPEGJPEG → TGA PNGPNGPNG → TGA WebPWebPWebP → TGA AVIFAVIFAVIF → TGA HEICHEICHEIC → TGA HEIFHEIFHEIF → TGA

All 36 conversions

GIFGIFGIF → TGAWith caveat TIFFTIFFTIFF → TGA BMPBMPBMP → TGA SVGSVGSVG → TGA ICOICOICO → TGA JPEG XLJPEG XLJPEG XL → TGA JPEG 2000JPEG 2000JPEG 2000 → TGA QOIQOIQOI → TGA PCXPCXPCX → TGA PPMPPMPPM → TGA PGMPGMPGM → TGA PBMPBMPBM → TGA PAMPAMPAM → TGA HDRHDRHDR → TGAWith caveat EXREXREXR → TGAWith caveat PSDPSDPSD → TGAWith caveat PDFPDFPDF → TGAWith caveat DNGDNGDNG → TGA Canon CR2Canon CR2Canon CR2 → TGA Canon CR3Canon CR3Canon CR3 → TGA Canon CRWCanon CRWCanon CRW → TGA Nikon NEFNikon NEFNikon NEF → TGA Sony ARWSony ARWSony ARW → TGA Fujifilm RAFFujifilm RAFFujifilm RAF → TGA Olympus ORFOlympus ORFOlympus ORF → TGA Panasonic RW2Panasonic RW2Panasonic RW2 → TGA Pentax PEFPentax PEFPentax PEF → TGA Sigma X3FSigma X3FSigma X3F → TGA Kodak RAWKodak RAWKodak RAW → TGA Hasselblad 3FRHasselblad 3FRHasselblad 3FR → TGA

Marked paths may need steps such as flattening, rasterization, tone mapping or animation loss.

About TGA

Truevision TGA

Truevision TGA grew out of graphics hardware and image interchange for the TARGA family. Its compact header describes the dimensions, pixel type, colour map and image origin. TGA supports colour-mapped, grayscale and truecolour raster images; a reader must select the correct interpretation rather than assume every file is RGB.

Pixels may be stored directly or compressed with run-length encoding. RLE changes storage, not pixel values. A 32-bit truecolour image can carry 8-bit alpha, while other layouts have different attribute bits. Version 2 adds an extension area and footer that help describe alpha interpretation, author information and colour-related properties.

Use TGA for texture and graphics-asset exchange when the tools require it. Verify orientation and whether alpha is meaningful, straight or premultiplied. TGA is not an animated or layered editing document; exporting one rendered texture cannot preserve a source scene, material graph or Photoshop layer stack.

Key capabilities

Compression: Lossless
Transparency: Yes
Animation: No
Extensions: .tga
MIME type: image/x-tga · Unregistered conventional type
Metadata: Image ID, Extension area (v2)
Best for: Textures & graphics assets
Colour depth: Indexed / gray / RGB / RGBA

TGA can be uncompressed or losslessly RLE-compressed. Attribute bits and version-2 alpha semantics matter; the fourth byte must not automatically be treated as opacity.

History of TGA

TGA’s hardware roots and version-2 extensions explain its simple raster core and optional information after the image data.

Truevision TARGA
Graphics-board interchange
Truevision develops TGA alongside its graphics products for storing raster output. The original header and image layout remain the foundation for later files.
Version 2.0
Compatible extension area
Version 2 keeps the original raster layout and adds an extension area, developer area and identifying footer. Readers of the old core can ignore information after pixel data.
Version 2.0
Alpha interpretation
The extension area describes how attribute data should be used, including alpha semantics. This addresses ambiguity left by merely declaring bits per pixel in the earlier header.

TGA compared

Different formats, different trade-offs. Choose for the image and the workflow.

PNG

TGA vs PNG

PNG preserves decoded pixels losslessly and can carry alpha. It is useful for transparent graphics and screenshots; it does not preserve editable document layers or camera sensor data, and photographic files can be large.

BMP

TGA vs BMP

BMP suits Windows bitmap interchange and simple pixel inspection. Uncompressed variants are easy to decode but can be large; palette, alpha and colour-profile behaviour depend on the header version.

QOI

TGA vs QOI

QOI keeps 8-bit RGB or RGBA pixels losslessly with a small, simple codec. It suits application-controlled image storage, but provides no standard metadata chunks, high-bit-depth samples or animation container.

TIFF

TGA vs TIFF

TIFF provides tagged raster storage with multiple images and several sample types and compression schemes. It is a useful interchange choice for scanning and high-precision editing, but the receiving tool must support the particular TIFF variant.

TGA FAQ

What does this format store?

How does compression affect quality?

TGA can be uncompressed or losslessly RLE-compressed. Attribute bits and version-2 alpha semantics matter; the fourth byte must not automatically be treated as opacity.

Does TGA preserve transparency?

Compatible truecolour variants can store alpha. Check attribute bits and the extension-area alpha type, since unused or differently interpreted channel bytes can produce incorrect edges.

What should I check before opening the file?

Check the image type, RLE support, origin and version-2 extension fields. A tool that only handles uncompressed 24-bit TGA may reject or misread other variants.

What changes when I export to another format?

A PNG can preserve interpreted RGB and alpha, but TGA extension metadata may not transfer. JPEG needs a background; GIF reduces the palette and cannot preserve partial alpha.

When is this format useful?

Sources

TGA