Convert RTF to PDF — free, in your browser, no signup
Updated
RTF (Rich Text Format) is a relic of WordPad and old word processors that refuses to die — and that's actually useful, because every text editor can still open and save it. SwissArmyPDF converts .rtf files into clean PDFs, preserving basic formatting like bold, italic, and lists. All in your browser, no upload.
What RTF is and why it persists
RTF is a Microsoft-defined plain-text-but-with-formatting-markup format from 1987. Unlike .doc/.docx, it's human-readable if you open it in a text editor; it embeds formatting via inline commands like \b for bold and \i for italic. That makes it the universal interchange format: every word processor on every platform reads it.
Common reasons RTF files are still around:
- WordPad documents from Windows users — the default save format.
- Legal documents exchanged between firms with mixed software stacks.
- Government forms distributed in RTF for maximum compatibility.
- Older Mac users whose TextEdit defaults to .rtf.
- Database exports where formatting matters but the recipient might not have Word.
How to convert RTF to PDF (step by step)
- Open RTF to PDF.
- Drop your .rtf file.
- Pick a page size and orientation.
- Click Convert and download the PDF.
Bold, italic, underline, lists, and basic paragraph formatting carry across cleanly.
What gets converted (and what doesn't)
Preserved:
- Bold, italic, underline.
- Bulleted and numbered lists.
- Headings.
- Paragraph alignment (left, center, right, justify).
- Basic tables.
- Inline images (where embedded in the RTF as base64).
Not preserved (or partially):
- Custom fonts. RTF lets the file reference any font; we use a small set of standard PDF fonts.
- Complex tables with merged cells or nested borders.
- Header/footer fields (page numbers, dates) — add post-conversion with Number Pages.
- Track changes / comments. Stripped during conversion.
- OLE-embedded objects (Excel charts, etc).
RTF vs DOCX vs TXT vs MD — pick the right source
- RTF — light formatting, universal interchange. Good when the source has bold/italic/lists but no advanced features.
- DOCX — full Word features. Use Word to PDF (coming soon) for these.
- TXT — no formatting. Use TXT to PDF with a custom font.
- Markdown — structured plain text. Use Markdown to PDF for headings, lists, tables, code blocks.
If your source was Word-authored but saved as RTF for compatibility, you'll get cleaner output by going back to the original DOCX (or by Word's own "Save As PDF" feature).
Troubleshooting
- Fonts look generic. RTF references custom fonts that aren't embedded. Output uses standard PDF fonts.
- Tables look broken. Complex tables (merged cells, custom borders) don't always convert. Re-author tables in a tool that exports to PDF directly.
- Images missing. Some RTF generators link images by file path rather than embedding. Re-save the RTF with embedded images.
- Output formatting differs from source. Expected for partial-fidelity conversion. For exact-match, use the source application's own Save-As-PDF.
Why local RTF-to-PDF matters
RTF files are often legal documents, government forms, or personal correspondence — content you don't want on a third-party server. SwissArmyPDF converts in your browser using a JavaScript RTF parser and pdf-lib. The file never leaves your device.
Common next steps
- Merge PDF — bundle the converted RTF with other documents.
- Sign PDF — sign the converted file.
- Number Pages — add pagination after conversion.
- Watermark PDF — mark as draft or final.