RTF (Rich Text Format) is one of the oldest document formats still in use — created by Microsoft in 1987, it is supported by nearly every word processor ever made. Converting an RTF to PDF makes it portable and read-only: anyone can open it without needing a specific application, and the layout appears exactly as intended regardless of the recipient's operating system.
What is preserved
RTF documents can contain bold and italic text, font choices, font sizes, paragraph alignment, indentation, numbered and bulleted lists, and basic tables. LibreOffice — which powers the conversion — renders all of these to PDF accurately. Complex elements like embedded images and advanced table formatting convert reliably for standard RTF content.
Privacy
The RTF file is sent to a secure server, converted using LibreOffice, and the PDF is returned. The source file is deleted immediately after the conversion completes — no copies are kept. If you need to convert an RTF that contains confidential content, this is a server-side operation and the file is briefly transmitted.
What RTF is and when to convert it
RTF (Rich Text Format) is a cross-platform document format developed by Microsoft in 1987. It is one of the most universally supported document formats: nearly every word processor on every operating system can open an RTF file. Legal filings, court documents, and legacy software systems often use RTF because of this compatibility. Converting RTF to PDF produces a fixed-layout document suitable for archiving, sharing, and printing.
RTF files are human-readable plaintext markup, which makes them lightweight and immune to the macro viruses that can affect DOCX files. When you receive an RTF from a trusted source and need to distribute it without recipients needing a compatible word processor, PDF is the natural output format.
What is preserved
Fonts, paragraph formatting (bold, italic, underline, alignment), tables, embedded images, numbered and bulleted lists, headers and footers, and page breaks are preserved. The conversion is handled by LibreOffice, which has decades of RTF compatibility work behind it and handles most RTF features correctly.
RTF does not support the advanced features that newer office formats include: no track changes rendering, no embedded macros, no smart art. The conversion handles what RTF actually contains.
File handling
The RTF file is sent over HTTPS to a secure server running LibreOffice, converted to PDF, and deleted immediately. No copies are retained. Conversion typically completes in under 10 seconds for standard documents.