File extension
.tga
Targa image file format
.tga files are Truevision Targa images: a raster format with optional run-length compression and an alpha channel, long used in game textures, rendering, and video work.
Known meanings
Formats and reference material for .tga
Details
Format notes
Truevision Targa (TGA)
TGA is a raster image format introduced by Truevision for its early graphics cards and still widely used in games, 3D rendering, and video production. It is valued for being simple to read and write, for supporting a straightforward alpha (transparency) channel, and for optional lossless run-length compression, which makes it a practical intermediate format for textures and rendered frames.
A TGA file has a header describing the image type and dimensions, an optional
color map (palette), and the pixel data. It supports several pixel depths —
including 8-bit grayscale or palettized, 16-bit, 24-bit RGB, and 32-bit RGBA —
and pixels may be stored uncompressed or run-length encoded. The version 2 format
adds an extension area and a footer (ending with the signature
TRUEVISION-XFILE.) that carries metadata such as author, timestamp, and gamma.
Notes And Quirks
Because the original specification left some details loosely defined, files vary in
pixel ordering (an “origin” bit controls whether rows run top-down or bottom-up)
and in how the alpha channel is interpreted, so robust readers must honor the
header flags rather than assume a layout. The common media type is image/x-tga.
Preservation And Security Notes
TGA is a reasonable format for lossless interchange of RGBA imagery; recording bit depth and alpha meaning avoids ambiguity. As a binary format with run-length compression, a TGA decoder should validate declared dimensions and color-map sizes from untrusted files and bound the decompressed output to avoid buffer overruns.
Further Reading
- Truevision TGA format specification:
https://www.dca.fee.unicamp.br/~martino/disciplinas/ea978/tgaffs.pdf