TGA VS JPG
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Truevision TGA and Joint Photographic Experts Group.
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
JPG
jpgUniversal image format with lossy compression, perfect for photography.
Pros
- Small file size
- Universal compatibility
- Adjustable compression levels
Cons
- Lossy compression (quality degrades)
- No transparency support
- No animation
When TGA wins
Stay with TGA when you need game textures or broadcast graphics. Its strengths center on supports alpha channel and a feature set native to Truevision.
When JPG wins
Choose JPG when your workflow prioritizes web images or digital photography. It delivers small file size plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | TGA | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | image/x-tga | image/jpeg |
| Developer | Truevision | Joint Photographic Experts Group |
| Release Year | 1984 | 1992 |
| Best For | Game textures, Broadcast graphics, VFX matte passes | Web images, Digital photography, Email attachments |
Need to switch?
Where TGA still wins
Keep TGA when you need supports alpha channel and workflows depend on game textures / broadcast graphics. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship JPG deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .tga glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use JPG for web images while archiving originals as TGA.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.