Converting PDFs

How to Convert a PDF to RTF (Rich Text Format)

To convert a PDF to RTF, upload your PDF to a PDF-to-RTF converter, run the conversion, and download the .rtf file. RTF is a universal rich-text format that opens in virtually any word processor on Windows, Mac or Linux, which makes it ideal when compatibility matters. It keeps your text and basic formatting but not images or complex layout, so it's best for text-focused documents. This guide covers the conversion and when RTF is the right choice.

Updated August 29, 2026 · 6 min read

RTF is the format you reach for when you need a document that will open anywhere, no matter what word processor or operating system is on the other end. Converting a PDF to RTF gives you editable text you can hand to almost anyone with confidence that they'll be able to open and edit it. The trade-off is worth understanding before you start, and this guide covers both the how and the when.

What RTF is, and why you'd want it

RTF, or Rich Text Format, is a document format designed to be read by almost any word processor. It stores text along with basic formatting like bold, italics, fonts and paragraph structure, and it does so in a way that Microsoft Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice, Apple Pages and countless smaller editors all understand. That universal readability is its whole reason for existing.

• It opens anywhere: Windows, Mac, Linux, and virtually every word processor, past or present.
• It's editable: unlike a PDF, the text is real, editable text you can change freely.
• It's lightweight: because it holds text rather than images, RTF files are small and easy to share.
• It's stable: a simple, long-established format that's unlikely to break or need special software.

The one thing to know first: RTF is text, not layout

Here's the part most converters don't tell you plainly, and it's the most important thing on this page. RTF is built to carry formatted text, not full page design. It handles fonts, bold, italics, paragraphs and basic structure well. It does not carry images, charts, diagrams or intricate multi-column layouts the way a Word file does.

RTF or Word? How to choose

Because RTF and Word overlap, it helps to know which to pick. The short version: choose RTF for maximum compatibility on text-focused documents, and Word when you need images and full layout.

If it turns out you need images and full layout after all, convert to Word (DOCX) instead, which preserves far more of the original document's design.

Converting your PDF to RTF, step by step

1. 1

   Open the PDF to RTF tool

   Go to the PDF to RTF converter. It runs in your browser, with no installation and no account needed to start.

2. 2

   Add your PDF

   Click Select PDF files or drag your PDF onto the page. You can add more than one if you have a batch to convert.

3. 3

   Run the conversion

   Choose your conversion option and click Convert to RTF. Optionally, name the output file first.

4. 4

   Download your RTF

   Download the finished .rtf file. It opens in Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice, Pages and effectively any other word processor.

A note on scanned PDFs

Since RTF is all about text, a scanned PDF is a special case. A scan is an image of a page with no real text in it, so converting it to RTF gives you nothing to edit. To get editable text from a scan, run it through OCR first to recognise the text, then convert the result to RTF. To check whether your PDF is scanned, try to select a line of text with your cursor; if nothing highlights, it needs OCR.

The short version

RTF is the go-to format when you need editable text that opens anywhere, on any system, in almost any word processor. Converting a PDF to RTF gives you exactly that: clean, editable text with its basic formatting intact. Just remember RTF carries text, not images or complex layout, so it's best for text-focused documents. When you need the full design, convert to Word instead, and for scanned files, run OCR first.