What is a TGA file?
TGA (Truevision Graphics Adapter, also called TARGA) is a raster format from 1984 that's still common in video games, 3D rendering and video production. It's simple, lossless and supports an alpha channel for transparency.
Game engines and 3D tools often export textures and render frames as TGA. Outside those workflows, few apps open it.
How to open a TGA file
Photoshop, GIMP, Blender, Unity and Unreal Engine open TGA files. Windows Photos and most browsers can't, so convert to PNG for a lossless copy that keeps the transparency.
- Extensions
- .tga, .targa
- Compression
- None or lossless (RLE)
- Transparency
- Yes
- Best for
- Game textures, 3D renders