TGA to PCX Converter
Convert TGA to PCX in your browser. TGA files usually come from game engines, 3D renderers and texture painting tools; PCX is the better fit for DOS-era software, retro games and old fax or scanner tools. You get a run-length encoded PCX: 8-bit indexed when the image has 256 colours or fewer, otherwise 24-bit RGB. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
TGA expected · other image formats also work
How to use TGA to PCX
- 1
Add your TGA files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
Pick the colour that replaces transparent areas, since PCX has none.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .pcx files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for tga to pcx
Where the PCX goes next
PCX opens in GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick, Paint Shop Pro and DOSBox-era tools.
PCX next to TGA
Both sides are lossless, so the size depends on how well the PCX encoder handles this picture compared with the TGA's uncompressed or run-length encoded (RLE).
Written without a lossy pass
The PCX is written losslessly, so the pixels decoded from the TGA arrive unchanged.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
TGA vs PCX
What changes from TGA to PCX
Encoding: the TGA uses uncompressed or run-length encoded (RLE); PCX uses byte-wise run-length encoding, and the download is a run-length encoded PCX: 8-bit indexed when the image has 256 colours or fewer, otherwise 24-bit RGB.
Bit depth: 8, 15, 16, 24 or 32 bits per pixel in the TGA; PCX allows 1, 2, 4 or 8 bits per pixel with a palette, or 24-bit as three 8-bit planes, and the PCX written here has 8-bit indexed or 24-bit RGB.
Colour: RGB, greyscale or a colour map in the TGA; PCX supports a 16 or 256-colour palette, or 24-bit RGB, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the TGA stores it as the fourth byte of each 32-bit pixel (or one bit in 16-bit files); the PCX has none, so transparent areas are filled with the colour you choose.
Metadata: the TGA can carry an image ID field and an optional extension area with author and date; PCX can carry only a 128-byte header with the resolution, but nothing is copied across.
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.
TGA files usually come from game engines, 3D renderers and texture painting tools.
About PCX
PCX is the image format of ZSoft's PC Paintbrush, the standard for DOS paint programs, scanners and games before GIF and BMP took over. It compresses with a simple run-length scheme.
A PCX file has a 128-byte header (the byte 0x0A, version, encoding, bits per pixel, image window, DPI, a 16-colour palette and the number of colour planes), then RLE-compressed scanlines; 256-colour files end with the byte 0x0C and a 768-byte palette.
When converting TGA to PCX makes sense
PCX is the better choice for DOS-era software, retro games and old fax or scanner tools, while TGA suits game textures and 3D software.
PCX strengths: Read by most legacy and modern viewers; Simple, lossless run-length compression. Drawbacks to weigh: Poor compression for photographs; No transparency; Obsolete outside retro software.
Limitations
- Some writers store rows bottom-up and some top-down; the descriptor byte says which, and the decoder follows it, so orientation is preserved.
- Game textures often hide data in the alpha byte (gloss or height); a target without transparency discards it.
- PCX's run-length compression suits flat-colour art; photographs barely shrink.
- Transparency is flattened onto the background colour, since PCX has no alpha channel.
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting TGA to PCX lose quality?
PCX is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded.
What happens to transparency when converting TGA to PCX?
TGA stores transparency as the fourth byte of each 32-bit pixel (or one bit in 16-bit files). PCX has no alpha channel, so transparent pixels are composited onto a solid colour, white unless you pick another. To keep transparency, convert to PNG, WebP or AVIF instead.
Which apps open PCX files?
GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick, Paint Shop Pro and DOSBox-era 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.