Quick answer
LibreOffice handles PDF-to-RTF best: open the PDF in LibreOffice Draw → File → Save As → RTF. Or command line: `libreoffice --headless --convert-to rtf input.pdf`. For Word users, Word can also open PDFs and save as RTF. Browser-based tools work for one-off conversion. Tables and complex layouts may not preserve perfectly — RTF is best for text-heavy documents.
Method 1: Convert PDF to RTF online (free, in your browser)
- 1
Open the FormatDrop document converter
Open formatdrop.com/document-converter in your browser. Conversion runs locally — your PDF stays on your device.
Go to converter - 2
Drop your PDF file
Drag the .pdf. Searchable PDFs (made from Word, Google Docs, web pages) convert with high fidelity. Scanned PDFs need OCR first.
- 3
Choose RTF as output
Select RTF. The converter extracts text plus basic formatting (font sizes, bold/italic, paragraphs) and writes them as RTF control codes.
- 4
Download and open in any word processor
RTF opens in Word, LibreOffice, Pages, TextEdit, Google Docs (via import), and any rich text editor. Review for formatting issues and fix manually if tables or columns shifted.
Method 2: Convert PDF to RTF using LibreOffice
LibreOffice handles PDF-to-RTF conversion better than most tools — it preserves font sizing, paragraph styles, and basic formatting cleanly.
- Install LibreOffice from libreoffice.org (free).
- Open LibreOffice → File → Open → select your PDF. LibreOffice opens it in Draw mode.
- File → Save As → choose 'Rich Text Format (.rtf)' from the file type dropdown.
- Or command line: `libreoffice --headless --convert-to rtf input.pdf`.
- Batch: `libreoffice --headless --convert-to rtf *.pdf`.
Note: LibreOffice is the best free option for high-fidelity PDF-to-RTF. Tables convert reasonably; complex multi-column layouts may simplify.
Method 3: Convert via Word (paid, GUI-based)
Word opens PDFs natively (Word 2013+) and exports to RTF.
- Open Word → File → Open → select your PDF. Word warns about potential layout changes; click OK.
- Word converts the PDF to an editable Word document. Review and fix any layout issues.
- File → Save As → choose 'Rich Text Format (*.rtf)'.
Note: Word's PDF import is decent but sometimes mangles tables and columns. LibreOffice often produces cleaner output.
Method 4: Pandoc with intermediate format
Pandoc doesn't directly convert PDF to RTF, but you can chain via DOCX or HTML.
- Install pandoc: `brew install pandoc` (Mac), `apt install pandoc` (Linux), download (Windows).
- Convert PDF to DOCX first using LibreOffice: `libreoffice --headless --convert-to docx input.pdf`.
- Then DOCX to RTF with pandoc: `pandoc input.docx -o output.rtf`.
- Combined script: `libreoffice --headless --convert-to docx input.pdf && pandoc input.docx -o output.rtf`.
Note: This approach gives you better control over formatting via pandoc's RTF output options. For one-off, LibreOffice direct is simpler.
When you need to convert PDF to RTF
- 1
Legal document workflows that strictly require RTF
Some court filing systems, e-discovery platforms, and legal practice management tools accept only RTF. Convert PDF case files to RTF for compliance with submission requirements.
- 2
Government forms or compliance systems
Older government portals and compliance systems often expect RTF specifically (a format choice frozen in time decades ago). Conversion is sometimes the only way to submit PDF content.
- 3
Cross-platform sharing without DOCX dependency
RTF works in every word processor on every OS without font embedding or proprietary feature issues. Useful when sharing with users on unknown software.
- 4
Importing PDF text into legacy software
Older databases, document management systems, or specialized tools that pre-date DOCX often handle RTF perfectly while struggling with modern formats.
Troubleshooting common PDF to RTF problems
Tables come out as garbled text
Tables in PDFs are positioned text, not real tables — converters approximate them. RTF supports real tables but the converter has to detect them. LibreOffice does the best job. For table-heavy PDFs, convert to DOCX instead and use Word's table tools.
Fonts are missing or substituted
RTF doesn't embed fonts — it references them by name. If the source PDF uses unusual fonts, they'll substitute on the recipient's machine. Stick to common fonts (Arial, Times, Calibri) for cross-platform RTF use.
Multi-column layout becomes single-column
RTF supports columns but most converters flatten multi-column PDF to single-column RTF. To preserve columns, manually re-structure in Word/LibreOffice after conversion.
Special characters appear as boxes
RTF requires character encoding declarations. LibreOffice handles UTF-8 RTF correctly; some online converters use legacy encodings that mangle accented characters. Use LibreOffice for international content.
Why convert PDF to RTF?
RTF is the universal text-with-formatting format that predates DOCX. Modern workflows largely use DOCX, but RTF's place is still relevant for legal/government compliance, legacy system integration, and any context where you need cross-platform text editing without font embedding hassles.
For most users, DOCX is the better target — modern Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice prefer it. Convert to RTF only when specifically required.
Your files never leave your device
FormatDrop runs the conversion engine entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly. No file upload. No server. Nothing stored. You can verify this by opening DevTools → Network tab and watching: zero upload requests.
Frequently asked questions
Is converting PDF to RTF free?
RTF vs DOCX — which should I use?
Will my tables transfer to RTF?
Best free PDF to RTF converter?
Can I convert scanned PDF to RTF?
No account. No upload. Works in any browser.