The TARGA extension is used by the raster graphic file format developed by Truevision. The company was later acquired by Avid Technology Inc. who kept the original TARGA format.

TARGA is an acronym for Truevision Advanced Raster Graphics Adapter and the file format was the first one used with IBM graphic cards that offered Truecolor display support. TARGA files can store image data with a precision between 8 and 32 bits per pixel – 24 bits maximum for RGB and an 8-bit alpha channel.

TARGA files are still in use today because their original output was the standard TV screen. They’re also used to store texture files for video games and for animations.