How do I convert an RTF file to PDF?
To convert RTF to PDF, upload your Rich Text file, saved by WordPad or TextEdit, to FixDoks's RTF to PDF tool and click Convert to PDF. Fonts, colours, tables and pictures are kept, and text stays selectable. Your file is uploaded over HTTPS and deleted from the server as soon as the PDF is returned.
RTF to PDF at a glance
| Input | RTF |
|---|---|
| Output | |
| Processing | On our server over HTTPS; files are deleted right after conversion |
| Max file size | 50 MB per file |
| Price | Free, no watermark |
| Download | Free Google sign-in |
| Works on | Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone |
How to use RTF to PDF Converter
- Click Select RTF files and choose your .rtf documents.
- Click Convert to PDF.
- Download the PDF file.
What is an RTF file?
RTF (Rich Text Format) is a simple document format created by Microsoft in the late 1980s. It stores text with basic formatting (fonts, sizes, bold, italics, colours, alignment, tables and pictures) in a way almost every word processor can read. WordPad on Windows and TextEdit on Mac save RTF by default, and many older business programs, accounting packages and legal systems export letters and reports as RTF.
RTF files open differently in different apps, and on phones they often do not open at all. A PDF looks the same everywhere, which makes it the better format for sending and archiving.
What is kept
- Fonts, sizes, bold, italic, underline and colours
- Paragraph alignment, indents, spacing and bullet lists
- Tables and embedded pictures
- Page size and margins if they are set in the file (otherwise A4)
Text in the PDF stays real text, so you can search and copy it.
Common uses
- Turning letters written in WordPad or TextEdit into PDFs for email.
- Converting reports exported from older software, such as billing or legal case management systems.
- Batch converting a folder of RTF files: select them all at once and download a ZIP.
RTF to Word
If you want to keep editing the document in a modern format, convert it with DOC to DOCX, which also accepts RTF files and produces a Word DOCX.
Tips
Very old RTF files sometimes use fonts that are no longer common; the closest available font is used. If your RTF contains only plain text with no formatting, TXT to PDF gives the same result.
RTF on Mac and phones
TextEdit on macOS saves formatted documents as RTF by default, and RTFD packages when they contain pictures. For RTF files, simply upload them here. Phones often cannot preview RTF attachments at all, so converting to PDF before sending saves the recipient a lot of trouble. If you receive an RTF on your phone, you can convert it right in the mobile browser and open the PDF straight away.
Law firms, hospitals and accounting software still export letters and reports as RTF. Converting them to PDF gives a fixed record that cannot be changed accidentally, which is useful when the document is attached to a case, a claim or an audit file.
Page size
If the RTF file defines no page size, A4 is used, the standard in India and most of the world. RTF files made on US systems often specify Letter size, which is kept as is.
Your file is converted on our server and deleted right after the PDF is returned.