TGA
Truevision TGA Image
Learn about the TGA image format, its features, pros and cons, and the software used to open TGA files.
What is Truevision TGA Image?
The TGA (Truevision Graphics Adapter) format was created by Truevision Inc. in 1984. Originally developed for TARGA and Vista videoboards, it became a standard format for storing uncompressed or lossless RLE-compressed true-color images. Due to its simplicity and support for 32-bit images with alpha channels, TGA is heavily utilized in the video game industry for textures and in digital content creation pipelines.
Advantages
- Supports high color depths up to 32 bits per pixel
- Includes support for alpha channel transparency
- Can store uncompressed or losslessly compressed RLE image data
- Simple data structure makes it easy to read and write for developers
Limitations
- Large file sizes when stored uncompressed
- Lacks advanced modern features like vector data or animation support
- Less efficient for web use compared to PNG or WebP formats
How to open Truevision TGA Image files
Adobe Photoshop
GIMP
XnView
IrfanView
Blender
Common use cases
- Storing game textures and assets
- Saving rendered image sequences from 3D software
- Archiving master graphics with transparency channels
- Legacy desktop publishing and video production
Convert TGA files
Browse all convertersExplore other formats
Frequently asked questions
TGA stands for Truevision Graphics Adapter, also commonly referred to as TARGA.
Yes, TGA supports an alpha channel for 32-bit images, allowing for varying levels of transparency.
TGA files can be either completely uncompressed or compressed using a lossless Run-Length Encoding (RLE) algorithm.
Most modern web browsers do not natively support the TGA format, so images usually need to be converted to PNG or JPEG for web use.