FixFile
File Format

RTF (.rtf)

Rich Text Format — a formatted document standard from 1987. Stores basic text formatting (bold, italic, fonts, colours) in a human-readable plain-text encoding understood by virtually every word processor.

Extension
.rtf
MIME Type
application/rtf

Last updated

Overview

RTF (Rich Text Format) was developed by Microsoft in 1987 as a cross-platform document interchange format. It stores formatted text — including fonts, bold, italic, colours, tables, and images — using plain-text control words prefixed with backslashes (e.g., \b for bold, \i for italic). This text-based encoding makes RTF human-readable and extremely portable across different operating systems and word processors.

RTF predates the "save to PDF" era and solved the cross-platform document sharing problem before PDF was invented. Sending an RTF file ensured recipients could open it in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, MacWrite, or any other word processor of the era. Though largely superseded by DOCX and PDF, RTF remains universally supported as a lowest-common-denominator formatted document format.

Common Uses

  • Cross-platform document sharing — a formatted document that every word processor can open correctly
  • Email attachments — many email clients can open RTF natively as a formatted message
  • Legal documents — some legal systems use RTF for case filings that must be opened by different software
  • WordPad default — Windows WordPad saves in RTF by default; many users create RTF files without knowing it

Advantages

  • Universal compatibility — supported by every word processor and rich text editor since 1990
  • Human-readable source — an RTF file opened in a text editor shows readable control codes, not binary garbage
  • No macro risks — RTF does not support executable macros, making it safer than DOC/DOCX for untrusted sources
  • Cross-platform — identical rendering on Windows, macOS, and Linux without font substitution issues

Limitations

  • Bloated file size — RTF's verbose text encoding is larger than equivalent DOCX for the same content
  • Limited features — RTF supports basic formatting but not complex Word features (SmartArt, tracked changes in full fidelity, content controls)
  • Slow parsing — large RTF files with many images are slow to open due to verbose encoding
  • Declining use — DOCX, ODT, and PDF cover all modern document needs with better efficiency

Supported Software

  • Windows: WordPad (native, default save format), Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer, Notepad++ (source view)
  • macOS: TextEdit (native, can open and save RTF), Pages, Microsoft Word for Mac
  • Cross-platform: LibreOffice Writer, AbiWord, Google Docs (import)