TGA to SVG Converter

Encoding: the TGA uses uncompressed or run-length encoded (RLE); SVG uses XML text describing paths, shapes and text, sometimes gzipped as .svgz, and the download is an SVG traced into vector paths (or, if you prefer, the pixels embedded in an SVG wrapper).

Bit depth: 8, 15, 16, 24 or 32 bits per pixel in the TGA; SVG allows not fixed: coordinates and colours are continuous values, and the SVG written here has vector paths with flat colours.

Colour: RGB, greyscale or a colour map in the TGA; SVG supports sRGB by default, other spaces through CSS colour functions, written here as flat colour regions.

Transparency: the TGA stores it as the fourth byte of each 32-bit pixel (or one bit in 16-bit files); the SVG keeps it as opacity on any element, with anti-aliased edges.

Metadata: the TGA can carry an image ID field and an optional extension area with author and date; SVG can carry title, description and RDF metadata elements, but nothing is copied across.

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.

SVG describes shapes, paths and text as XML instead of pixels, so it stays crisp at any size. It is the standard for logos, icons and illustrations on the web.

An SVG is an XML document: a root <svg> element with a viewBox, then paths, shapes, text, gradients and filters. It can also embed raster images and, dangerously, scripts, which is why untrusted SVG is sanitized before rendering here.

SVG is the better choice for logos, icons and illustrations, while TGA suits game textures and 3D software.

SVG strengths: Infinitely scalable and sharp; Tiny files for logos and icons; Editable as text and styleable with CSS. Drawbacks to weigh: Not suitable for photographs; Can contain scripts, so untrusted SVG must be sanitized; Many apps and social sites will not accept it.