RTF to PDF
Turn an RTF document into a PDF that looks the same on every device, ready to email, print or upload. RTF (Rich Text Format) can be saved by almost every word processor, including Word, WordPad and TextEdit. The conversion runs on your own device, so your document is never uploaded.
How to use it
- Choose one or more RTF documents, or drag them onto the box.
- The first time, the converter downloads (about 78 MB). After that it starts straight away.
- Download each PDF, or all of them together as a ZIP file.
What you get
A PDF with your document’s text, headings, lists, tables, pictures, footnotes, page numbers, headers and footers, laid out as the document is set up. The text stays real text, so the PDF can be searched and copied from.
The converter is LibreOffice, the well-known free office suite, running inside your browser. It reads RTF files from Word and other programs well, but some Word-only features can come out differently. Fonts unavailable to the converter may be substituted, which can change the layout.
Tracked changes, comments and links
Tracked changes are shown marked up: added words are underlined and deleted words are struck through but still visible. Accept or reject them first if you want a clean copy. Comments are not included in the PDF.
Nothing a document links to is fetched or updated. Pictures stored only elsewhere, for example on the internet, are left out. Linked objects and included text show the copy saved inside the document, which may be out of date. Documents protected against editing convert as normal, without a password.
Your document stays on your device
The converter is downloaded from FilePresto first. Then the page locks itself, and only after that is your document opened. Once locked, the page cannot send or fetch anything on the internet, so your document cannot leave your device, even by mistake.
The first-time download
The converter is a full document engine, about 78 MB, the same one used for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and ODT. Your browser normally keeps it, so later conversions start much faster, but browsers can clear it to save space. Wi-Fi is recommended. It is designed for computers; on a phone it may be slow or stop, and phones are limited to files of up to 10 MB.
Questions
What is an RTF file?
RTF (Rich Text Format) is a long-established document format that almost every word processor can open and save. It keeps text formatting, tables and pictures, and is often used for letters and forms exported from other systems.
Are comments included?
No. Comments are left out of the PDF. Tracked changes are shown marked up, with added words underlined and deleted words struck through.
Why is the first conversion slow?
The first time, your browser downloads the converter, about 78 MB. After that it is usually kept, and conversions take a few seconds.
Are my files uploaded?
No. The work happens inside your web browser, on your own device. Before your file is opened, this page locks itself: from then on your browser refuses to let it fetch, upload or send anything at all. You can check: once the page has loaded, switch off your internet connection and it will still work. How the lock works.