What is an RTF file?
RTF is a formatted document that almost every word processor on every system can open. It is the usual way to pass text with basic bold, italics and headings between programs that agree on nothing else. RTF is listed here for reference. It is not one this site can convert.
Specification
| Full name | Rich Text Format |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .rtf |
| Media type | application/rtf |
| Compression | Uncompressed |
| Transparency | — |
| Animation | — |
| Multiple pages | Supported |
| Colour depth | ASCII control words with escaped Unicode |
| Size limits | — |
| Introduced | 1987 |
| Developed by | Microsoft |
| Standard | Open |
| Browser support | Not displayed by browsers |
What RTF is used for
- Interchange between word processors that share no native format
- Text pasted between applications on Windows and macOS
- Legacy documents and help files from the 1990s
Strengths and limitations
What RTF does well
- Opens in essentially every word processor without conversion
- Formatting is visible as readable ASCII, so it can be repaired by hand
Where RTF falls short
- Files are large because everything is spelled out in text
- Development stopped in 2008, so modern typography is not represented
- Implementations disagree on anything beyond basic character formatting
Questions about RTF
What is a .rtf file?
RTF is a formatted document that almost every word processor on every system can open. The extension .rtf identifies it, and its media type is application/rtf.
How do I open an RTF file?
Browsers do not display RTF natively, so you either need software that understands it or you convert it to something more common first. Converting is usually the faster route when you only need to look at the contents once.
Is RTF lossy or lossless?
Uncompressed. Nothing is discarded, so repeated saves never degrade the contents.
What is RTF good for?
Opens in essentially every word processor without conversion. Formatting is visible as readable ASCII, so it can be repaired by hand. In practice that makes it a good fit for interchange between word processors that share no native format, and Text pasted between applications on Windows and macOS.
What are the drawbacks of RTF?
Files are large because everything is spelled out in text. Development stopped in 2008, so modern typography is not represented. Implementations disagree on anything beyond basic character formatting.