TGA (Truevision Targa)
.tga · image/x-tga · 1984 · Truevision
A retro format that lives on in game modding and 3D texture pipelines. Below is what TGA is best at, where it falls short, and how it compares — plus free, in-browser tools to convert TGA to and from other formats, with nothing uploaded.
TGA is a 1984 format that refuses to die because game engines and 3D tools still read and write it — simple RLE compression, straightforward alpha channel, no patent drama. If a modding tool or engine hands you TGA textures, EditItAll converts them to PNG losslessly (or from PNG back to TGA) right in your browser.
Compression
Lossless
Transparency
Yes
Animation
No
Browser display
None
Strengths & limitations
Strengths
- Simple, reliable alpha channel
- Still standard in game/3D pipelines
Limitations
- No browser support
- Weak compression
- No metadata to speak of
Best used for
- Game textures and mods
- 3D rendering pipelines
Tools for TGA
Frequently asked questions
Is TGA lossy or lossless?+
TGA is lossless: it preserves every pixel exactly, with no quality loss.
Does TGA support transparency?+
Yes — TGA has an alpha channel, so it can store transparent areas. It is a still-image format (no animation).
Can browsers open TGA files directly?+
No — browsers can't display TGA in a page. Convert it to JPG or PNG first, which you can do here with nothing uploaded.
How do I open or convert a TGA file for free?+
Drop your TGA file into the EditItAll converter and choose an output format — it decodes and re-encodes entirely in your browser, with nothing uploaded, no account and no watermark.