What happens when you convert PNG to TGA
- The image is decoded and written as an uncompressed 32-bit TGA with an alpha channel.
- The TGA is written uncompressed at 32 bits with an alpha channel and a top-left origin, which every program that reads TGA accepts, including game engines. Expect about 4 bytes per pixel.
How to convert PNG to TGA online
- Press "Choose PNG files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
- Adjust the settings if you need to. The output is lossless, so there is no quality setting to worry about.
- Press "Convert to TGA". Images convert in a second or two each.
- Save each TGA with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.
Why convert PNG to TGA?
PNG files usually come from screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with transparency. People convert them to TGA because TGA is the texture format game engines, 3D tools and video effects software have read for decades, alpha channel included.
In short, PNG is good at what it was made for, and TGA is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. PNG opens in every browser and image viewer, while TGA does not open in browsers; Photoshop, GIMP and game engines read it.
How to convert PNG to TGA on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your PNG files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each TGA is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the PNG files from Finder onto the drop zone and the TGA files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose PNG files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted TGA appears in Files, in the Downloads folder; to put it in your photo library, open it there, tap Share and choose Save Image.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose PNG files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The TGA is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for PNG to TGA
TGA is written uncompressed with its alpha channel, so there is no quality setting: every pixel and every level of transparency is kept. Use the Maximum width setting if the game engine or tool needs a smaller texture.
Many game engines prefer texture sizes that are powers of two, such as 512, 1024 or 2048 pixels. Resize the image to those dimensions first if the engine asks for them.
PNG vs TGA: the differences
| PNG | TGA | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Portable Network Graphics | Truevision TGA image |
| Type | image | image |
| Created by | the PNG Development Group | Truevision |
| First released | 1996 | 1984 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | No |
| Vector or raster | Raster | Raster |
| Colour | up to 16 bits per channel with a full alpha channel | up to 32-bit colour with an 8-bit alpha channel |
| In a browser | opens in every browser and image viewer | does not open in browsers; Photoshop, GIMP and game engines read it |
| Common uses | screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with transparency | game textures, 3D rendering and video effects work |
| MIME type | image/png | image/x-tga |
About PNG and TGA files
What is a PNG file?
PNG compresses without losing a single pixel, so screenshots and text stay razor sharp, but a photograph saved as PNG is often three to five times the size of the same photo as JPG.
What is a TGA file?
TGA, also called Targa, stores pixels uncompressed or with simple run-length compression, plus an alpha channel. Its simplicity is why game engines and 3D tools still use it for textures decades after it was created.
PNG to TGA not working? Common problems
- Colours look slightly different. Browsers convert images to the standard sRGB colour space when they decode them, so wide-gamut and CMYK images can shift a little.
- A phone photo comes out upright even though it looked sideways elsewhere. That is correct: the rotation stored in the photo is applied during conversion, so the TGA is always the right way up.
- The file is bigger than expected. It depends on the settings. At the defaults, the TGA usually comes out close in size to the PNG; lower the quality for a smaller file.
Convert PNG to TGA from the command line
If you work in a terminal, ImageMagick converts PNG to TGA in one line:
magick input.png output.tgaTo convert every PNG in a folder at once, use magick mogrify -format tga *.png. The converter on this page does the same job without installing anything.
PNG to TGA converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting PNG to TGA?
No. TGA is written losslessly, so the result matches the PNG exactly.
Why is the TGA a different size from the PNG?
It depends on the settings. At the defaults, the TGA usually comes out close in size to the PNG; lower the quality for a smaller file.
Are my PNG files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside this browser tab using your browser's own image decoder, so your files stay on your device. You can disconnect from the internet after the page has loaded and it still works.
Can I convert several PNG files to TGA at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a TGA file?
TGA does not open in browsers; Photoshop, GIMP and game engines read it. TGA is common for game textures, 3D rendering and video effects work.
Is this PNG to TGA converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert. The site is paid for by advertising, and because conversions run on your device there is no server cost per file.
Can I convert PNG to TGA on my phone?
Yes. The converter works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. Converted files are saved to the Downloads folder.