PNG VS TGA
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Portable Network Graphics and Truevision TGA.
PNG
pngLossless format supporting transparency, ideal for logos and digital art.
Pros
- Lossless quality
- Alpha channel transparency
- Wide support
Cons
- Larger file sizes than JPG
- Not good for print (RGB only)
TGA
tgaLegacy raster format used in broadcast and game development with optional RLE compression.
Pros
- Supports alpha channel
- Straightforward structure
- Trusted in VFX pipelines
Cons
- Large uncompressed files
- Sparse metadata
- Poor native web support
When PNG wins
Stay with PNG when you need logos or screenshots. Its strengths center on lossless quality and a feature set native to PNG Development Group.
When TGA wins
Choose TGA when your workflow prioritizes game textures or broadcast graphics. It delivers supports alpha channel plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | PNG | TGA |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | image/png | image/x-tga |
| Developer | PNG Development Group | Truevision |
| Release Year | 1996 | 1984 |
| Best For | Logos, Screenshots, Graphics with transparent backgrounds | Game textures, Broadcast graphics, VFX matte passes |
Need to switch?
Where PNG still wins
Keep PNG when you need lossless quality and workflows depend on logos / screenshots. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship TGA deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .png glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use TGA for game textures while archiving originals as PNG.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.