TIFF to TGA Converter
Convert TIFF to TGA in your browser. TIFF files usually come from scanners, print and publishing workflows, photo archives and tethered camera capture; TGA is the better fit for game textures and 3D software. You get a run-length encoded 32-bit TGA with alpha. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
TIFF expected · other image formats also work
How to use TIFF to TGA
- 1
Add your TIFF files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the TGA is written losslessly. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .tga files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for tiff to tga
Where the TGA goes next
TGA opens in Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender, Photoshop, GIMP and Substance tools.
TGA next to TIFF
Both sides are lossless, so the size depends on how well the TGA encoder handles this picture compared with the TIFF's none, LZW, PackBits, Deflate or JPEG, chosen per file.
Written without a lossy pass
The TGA is written losslessly, so the pixels decoded from the TIFF arrive unchanged, apart from precision beyond 8 bits per channel.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
TIFF vs TGA
What changes from TIFF to TGA
Encoding: the TIFF uses none, LZW, PackBits, Deflate or JPEG, chosen per file; TGA uses uncompressed or run-length encoded (RLE), and the download is a run-length encoded 32-bit TGA with alpha.
Bit depth: 1 to 16 bits per channel, or 32-bit floating point in the TIFF; TGA allows 8, 15, 16, 24 or 32 bits per pixel, and the TGA written here has 32 bits per pixel. 16-bit and floating-point TIFFs are reduced to 8 bits per channel.
Colour: RGB, CMYK, Lab, greyscale or palette, often with an ICC profile in the TIFF; TGA supports RGB, greyscale or a colour map, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the TIFF stores it as an extra sample declared in the ExtraSamples tag; the TGA keeps it as the fourth byte of each 32-bit pixel (or one bit in 16-bit files).
Other images: the TIFF can hold several pages, each in its own image file directory; only the main image is converted.
Metadata: the TIFF can carry EXIF, XMP, IPTC and ICC, all stored as tags; TGA can carry an image ID field and an optional extension area with author and date, but nothing is copied across.
About TIFF
TIFF is the professional archive and print format. It can hold multiple pages, high bit depths and lossless data, and is common in scanning, publishing and GIS.
A TIFF begins with 'II' or 'MM' for the byte order and the number 42, then an offset to the first image file directory (IFD): a table of tags giving the size, compression, colour model and the location of the strips or tiles of pixels. Each further page is another IFD.
TIFF files usually come from scanners, print and publishing workflows, photo archives and tethered camera capture.
About TGA
TGA is a simple raster format still widely used for game textures and 3D rendering pipelines because it stores alpha channels reliably and loads fast.
A TGA has an 18-byte header (ID length, colour map type, image type 2 for true colour or 10 for RLE, origin, size, bits per pixel and a descriptor byte whose bits give the alpha depth and whether rows run top-down), then the pixels; version 2 files end with a 'TRUEVISION-XFILE' footer.
When converting TIFF to TGA makes sense
TGA is the better choice for game textures and 3D software, while TIFF suits printing, scanning and archival masters.
TGA strengths: Reliable alpha channel; Fast and simple to load; Common in game engines. Drawbacks to weigh: Large files; Not viewable in browsers.
Limitations
- Only the first page of a multi-page TIFF is converted; split the file first if you need every page.
- CMYK TIFFs from print workflows are converted to RGB, which changes how a print shop's colours are described.
- The run-length encoding used here is lossless, and game engines read compressed and uncompressed TGA alike.
- TGA files do not open in browsers, so keep a PNG for previews.
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting TIFF to TGA lose quality?
TGA is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. 16-bit and floating-point TIFFs are reduced to 8 bits per channel. Not carried over: any several pages.
Is transparency kept in the TGA?
Yes. TIFF stores it as an extra sample declared in the ExtraSamples tag, and the TGA is written with an alpha channel, so transparent areas stay transparent.
Which apps open TGA files?
Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender, Photoshop, GIMP and Substance tools. It does not open in web browsers.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.