How to convert PDF to RTF
- Add your .PDF file - drop it in the box above or click to browse.
- Convert it to .RTF in a few seconds.
- Download your new .RTF file.
What to expect
- Fixed page layout becomes flowing text, so exact positioning, columns, and spacing are not preserved.
- A scanned or image-only PDF yields no usable text without OCR.
- Tables and complex layouts may break apart, and some images may not carry over.
Frequently asked questions
Will the formatting survive?
Text is extracted with basic formatting such as bold, italic, and fonts where it can be detected, but a PDF's exact fixed positioning does not map to RTF's flowing text. Multi-column pages, precise spacing, and complex tables often reflow or break.
Why convert a PDF to RTF?
RTF is an editable text document that nearly every word processor can open and modify, which a PDF is not. It is a portable choice when you need the wording in an editable form.
What opens an RTF file?
Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer, and Google Docs all open RTF. It is designed as an interchange format, so support is very broad.
What happens with a scanned PDF?
If the PDF is a scanned image with no underlying text layer, there is nothing to extract and the RTF will come out empty or garbled. Getting text from a scan requires OCR, which this conversion does not perform.
Our free PDF toolsAll tools →
Programs that convert PDF: Microsoft Word · Xara Page & Layout Designer · Calibre · Corel WordPerfect · Hamster Free eBook Converter · Nitro Pro · Calibre for Mac · Calibre for Linux