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pdfconversionapi

GIF to TGA API

POST a GIF to /v2/convert/gif/to/tga to receive frame 1 as an uncompressed 32-bit Targa file (image type 2) with a top-left origin. The GIF's transparency is carried into the TGA's 8-bit alpha channel.

Endpoint
POST /v2/convert/gif/to/tga
Accepts
gif
Sample timing
1 ms median of 5 runsHow we measure
Request size
Up to 10 MB on the Free plan or 100 MB on paid plans, all files together

Request and response

Every sample below ran against the API before this page was published. Set PDFCONVERSIONAPI_KEY to your key and run it as is.

curl -sS -X POST \
  https://api.pdfconversionapi.com/v2/convert/gif/to/tga \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PDFCONVERSIONAPI_KEY" \
  -F File=@parcel-tracker.gif \
  -o response.json

# FileData is base64. Save the first file in converted/,
# or print the JSON error.
if jq -e '.Files' response.json > /dev/null; then
  mkdir -p converted
  name=$(jq -r '.Files[0].FileName' response.json)
  jq -r '.Files[0].FileData' response.json \
    | base64 --decode > "converted/$name"
else
  cat response.json
fi
200 OK1 ms median1 file, 250 KB
{
  "ConversionCost": 1,
  "ConversionTime": 0.001,
  "Files": [
    {
      "FileName": "parcel-tracker.tga",
      "FileExt": "tga",
      "FileSize": 256018,
      "FileData": "AAACAAAAAAAAAAAAkAGgACAo…"
    }
  ]
}

Response from our test run on 2026-11-03. ConversionTime shows the median of 5 runs. FileData is shortened here; the real response carries the whole file as base64.

The sample, converted

The same file the code sends. Download the input and the output and compare them yourself.

First page of parcel-tracker.tga, rendered by the API
Input
parcel-tracker.gif (8.7 KB)
Output
parcel-tracker.tga (250 KB)
Source
A four-frame animated parcel-tracking card with a transparent outside and a QR code, drawn by us for this page. (CC0-1.0). How it was made
Made by
2026-11-04, API build 9eeeb0640aba

Parameters

Send these as form fields next to the file. Names are case-insensitive. If you set one of the documented options below that we don't support yet, the request fails with a 400 that names it instead of returning a file made without it.

ParameterWhat it does
ImageWidthintegerWidth of the Targa in pixels. The 200 × 80 version took 64,018 bytes: 4 bytes per pixel plus the 18-byte header.Values: 1–20000
ImageHeightintegerHeight in pixels. Combined with ImageWidth, the card is fitted inside that box.Values: 1–20000
ScaleProportionsboolean, default truefalse stretches to the exact box.
ScaleIfLargerboolean, default falsetrue keeps GIFs smaller than the target at their own size.
ScaleImageboolean, default truefalse crops the top-left area: 150 × 100 gave 60,018 bytes.
TransparentColorstringSets alpha to 0 for one more exact color. With #FFFFFF the white face of the card turned clear in the alpha channel.Values: Color name, #RRGGBB or R,G,B
ColorSpaceenum, default defaultGray or black-and-white pixel values in the same 32-bit layout and size, 256,018 bytes; monochrome left only black, white and the clear corners.Values: default, rgb, gray, monochrome
FileNamestringOutput file name, .tga added.
StoreFileboolean, default falseReturn a URL valid for 3 hours.

What carries over, and what doesn't

Kept

  • Every pixel of frame 1, including alpha: the raw pixel data matched the GIF frame with no difference
  • Transparency as 8 alpha bits per pixel, so the card's corners stay clear
  • Top-left row order (image descriptor 0x28), so the image is not flipped

Lost or not yet supported

  • Frames after the first; the tracker shows Packed only.
  • No TGA 2.0 footer or extension area, so there is no author, date or gamma field.
  • Size compared with the GIF: 256,018 bytes against 8,956, since nothing is compressed: 4 bytes for each of the 64,000 pixels plus an 18-byte header.

Limits

  • One GIF per request.
  • Requests up to 10 MB on the Free plan or 100 MB on paid plans, all files and fields together.
  • 413 above 100,000,000 pixels, before decoding.
  • Resize sides from 1 to 20,000 px.
  • Conversions that pass 120 seconds return 504.

Where teams use it

Textures and sprites for game tools

Many game engines, modding tools and texture pipelines accept Targa with alpha. A GIF sprite or UI element becomes a TGA with its transparent pixels already in the alpha channel.

Video and compositing software

Video editors and compositing tools that import Targa stills can use a converted GIF badge as an overlay, with its cut-out corners already transparent.

Questions

Is the TGA compressed?

No. It is image type 2, uncompressed true color at 32 bits per pixel, so the sample is 256,018 bytes. There is no option to switch run-length coding on.

Which programs can open the TGA?

All three readers we tried, the image tools built into macOS among them, decoded the sample exactly, alpha included. The rows are stored plain, with no run-length packets, so readers without run-length support load it too.

Does it keep the transparent background?

Yes. The alpha byte is 0 for the GIF's transparent pixels and 255 elsewhere, and the header declares 8 alpha bits.

Are unknown parameters rejected?

No. ConvertAPI documents no options for GIF to TGA, so names this route doesn't read are ignored and the file comes back unchanged.

Convert your first GIF file in a minute.