What is the RTFD file format?
Files with the .rtfd extension contain a formatted text document together with any files attached to it, such as images or animations. .rtfd files - also known as Rich Text Format with Attachments - are the standard way TextEdit saves rich documents containing embedded media on macOS and, historically, on NeXTSTEP systems. Unlike plain .rtf files, which cannot natively store embedded images inside a single file, .rtfd keeps everything in one self-contained bundle.
An .rtfd document is a macOS bundle - a directory that Finder displays as a single file icon rather than a folder - and is not compressed. The bundle typically contains:
TXT.rtf, containing the document text, RTF formatting commands, and references to the attached media files- images embedded in their native format (PNG, TIFF, GIF, JPEG, and others)
- scalable formats such as .pdf, which print at any resolution without quality loss
On macOS, Finder hides the bundle structure; TextEdit and Pages treat the .rtfd as a single document. Renaming the file to remove the .rtfd extension on any system reveals the folder and the individual files inside.
On Windows and Linux, .rtfd arrives as a plain folder. Reading is only partial - the TXT.rtf text file can be opened in any RTF-capable editor, but embedded images do not display as part of the document. Programs on macOS that correctly open .rtfd files - TextEdit, Pages, or the freeware Bean word processor - can also convert and export to other formats such as .docx or plain .rtf.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWRTFD is a passive document bundle. RTF macros (\\shp, \\objclass etc.) can reference OLE objects, but RTFD's macOS context strips executable content. No known RTFD-specific exploits. Standard document-origin caution applies for files from unknown sources.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open RTFD files
Windows2 apps
Microsoft Word
Paid Rename the .rtfd folder to .rtfd.zip, extract, open TXT.rtf in Word - text only, images lost. 
WordPad
Built-in Navigate into the .rtfd folder and open TXT.rtf with WordPad - text only, images lost. 
macOS3 apps
Technical details
deep spec| Bundle type | macOS package (directory with package bit set; Finder shows it as a single file icon, not a folder) |
| Inner text file | TXT.rtf - standard RTF 1.x document containing text, formatting commands, and attachment references |
| Media file storage | Embedded files stored in bundle root alongside TXT.rtf in their native format (PNG, TIFF, PDF, GIF, JPEG, and others) |
| PDF attachment support | Scalable PDF images stored natively inside the bundle; print at any resolution without pixelation |
| Compression | None - bundle directory is uncompressed |
| MIME type | application/rtf |
| RTF version used internally | RTF 1.x inside TXT.rtf; no RTFD-specific version field exists |
| Platform | macOS (primary editor support); iOS (limited via NSTextAttachment / UITextView); Windows and Linux display the bundle as a plain folder |
| Windows/Linux behavior | Bundle appears as a plain directory; TXT.rtf is readable by RTF editors but embedded images are not composited into the document |
| Typical file size | 10 KB - 500 MB (depends on number and size of embedded images and media files) |
| Origin | Introduced on NeXTSTEP circa 1989; adopted into macOS via the Cocoa NSText system |
| Released | circa 1989 (NeXTSTEP) |
| Latest version | Maintained as part of macOS Cocoa text system (macOS 15 Sequoia, 2024) |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | developer.apple.com |
RTFD conversions
Community Q&A
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