┌─ FILE ANALYSIS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┐
│ DEVELOPER : Truevision (now Avid)
│ CATEGORY : Image
│ MIME TYPE : image/x-tga
└ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┘
What is a TGA file?
TGA (Targa) is a raster graphics format created by Truevision in 1984. It supports up to 32-bit color with an 8-bit alpha channel for transparency. TGA became a standard in the video game and video editing industries due to its simplicity, alpha support, and minimal compression overhead.
How to open TGA files
- Adobe Photoshop (Windows, macOS) — Full support
- GIMP (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Free, full support
- IrfanView (Windows) — Lightweight viewer
- XnView (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Free viewer
Technical specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Color Depth | 8, 16, 24, 32 bit |
| Alpha Channel | 8-bit (in 32-bit mode) |
| Compression | None or RLE |
| Max Resolution | 65,535 x 65,535 px |
| Orientation | Bottom-up or top-down |
Common use cases
- Game development: Texture files for 3D models and sprites.
- Video editing: Frame sequences with alpha channels.
- 3D rendering: Texture maps for 3D applications.
- Legacy workflows: Older animation and VFX pipelines.