What Is RTF (Rich Text Format)?

Rich text format (RTF) is a platform-independent document file format developed by Microsoft for exchanging formatted text between different word processors and operating systems.

What Is Rich Text Format?

Rich text format is a plain-text–based document specification introduced by Microsoft in 1987 that enables reliable interchange of formatted text across applications and operating systems. An RTF file encodes content using readable control words and symbols prefixed by backslashes, organized into brace-delimited groups that define scope.

Core constructs include a header declaring the RTF version and defaults (for example, character set and default font). They are followed by tables that describe available fonts and colors, and the document body is marked up with control words for character, paragraph, and section formatting.

RTF Syntax and Structure

RTF syntax follows clear hierarchical rules, allowing text, styles, and metadata to be represented in a single, portable file.

RTF is a plain-text markup that uses three building blocks:

• Control words/symbols. These commands define specific formatting or structural instructions. Control words begin with a backslash followed by letters (for example, \b for bold or \fs24 for 12-point text) and may include numeric parameters. Control symbols, by contrast, consist of a backslash followed by a single non-letter character (such as \{, \}, or \~). Each modifies how text is displayed or how a document element behaves.
• Groups. Groups are enclosed within braces { ... } and define the scope for formatting and metadata. When a group ends, temporary formatting changes are reverted, preserving higher-level styles. This scoping mechanism allows nested formatting (e.g., bold text within italicized text) without permanent property overrides.
• Destinations. Destinations represent semantic regions within an RTF file, each starting with a control word that identifies its purpose. Examples include \fonttbl for the font table, \colortbl for the color table, \stylesheet for style definitions, \info for document metadata, and \pict for embedded images. The content inside each destination is interpreted based on its role, providing a structured way to manage non-text data.

Every RTF file follows a predictable sequence that begins with a header and continues with the document body interleaved with control words for layout and formatting.

• Header. An RTF document always starts with a declaration like {\rtf1\ansi\deff0 ... }, which specifies the RTF version (\rtf1), the default character set or code page (\ansi, \ansicpg1252), and the default font (\deffN). Following this declaration are tables defining fonts, colors, and styles referenced later in the document.
• Body content. The main text follows the header, combining text strings with inline control words. Commands such as \pard reset paragraph properties, \plain clear character formatting, \par insert paragraph breaks, and \sect start new sections. Measurements like \fsN use half-point units for font sizes. Additional controls manage indentation, alignment, tabs, and simple tables or lists.

RTF supports multiple encoding methods to ensure compatibility with different languages and embedded data types.

• Character encoding. Text can include bytes from a specific code page using hex escapes (\'hh) declared under \ansicpg. Unicode characters appear as \uN code points followed by a fallback representation, governed by \ucN, which defines how many bytes of the fallback text to skip.
• Binary data. Non-text content like images or OLE objects is included within destinations such as \pict. These data blocks are typically hex-encoded or introduced with \binN to specify the byte count, allowing RTF readers to parse embedded assets accurately.

RTF tables are not layout objects but procedural constructs defined through control words.

• Table syntax. Each row begins with \trowd (table row descriptor), followed by cell definitions like \cellxN, which specify cell boundaries. The content of each cell appears between \intbl and \cell, while \row ends the table row. This explicit procedural structure provides flexibility but requires precise sequencing.

RTF is designed for forward compatibility, ensuring that readers can handle newer syntax gracefully.

• Handling unknown elements. RTF readers must ignore any unrecognized control words and skip entire groups for unknown destinations. A control word preceded by \* signals that the content may not be understood by older readers. This rule-based resilience allows newer dialects to extend RTF without breaking compatibility.

Rich Text Format Example

Below is a minimal, self-contained RTF sample that demonstrates the header, font and color tables, basic paragraph/character formatting (bold, italic, underline), alignment, simple color changes, code-style text using a second font, a table made with row/cell controls, and a Unicode escape. You can copy this into a .rtf file and open it in any word processor that supports RTF to see how the control words and groups map to visual formatting.

{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\uc1

{\fonttbl{\f0 Times New Roman;}{\f1 Courier New;}}

{\colortbl; \red0\green0\blue0; \red0\green0\blue255;}

\paperw11907\paperh16840\margl1440\margr1440\margt1440\margb1440

{\pard\qc\f0\fs28\b Rich Text Format Demo\par}

{\pard\sa200\f0\fs24

This paragraph shows \b bold\b0, \i italic\i0, and \ul underline\ul0.

It also switches color for a word: \cf2 blue\cf1 , and demonstrates a Unicode escape:

smart quote \u8220 ?quoted text\u8221 ? with ASCII fallback.\par}

{\pard\sa200\f0\fs24

Monospaced snippet in a different font: {\f1 This is code-like text;}

accented text with code-page hex: caf\'e9 and na\'efve.\par}

{\pard\sa200\f0\fs24\b Simple 2x2 Table\b0\par}

{\pard

\trowd\trgaph108\cellx3000\cellx6000

\intbl\f0\fs22 Row 1, Col 1\cell Row 1, Col 2\cell\row

\trowd\trgaph108\cellx3000\cellx6000

\intbl\f0\fs22 Row 2, Col 1\cell Row 2, Col 2\cell\row

\pard}

{\pard\sa200\f0\fs20

\plain\par

}

}

Rich Text Format Key Features

Here are the key features of rich text format, along with their explanations:

• Plain-text markup with control words. Formatting is expressed via backslash-prefixed control words and symbols (e.g., \b, \fs24), grouped with { ... } to scope effects. This keeps documents human-readable and resilient against corruption.
• Groups, destinations, and forward compatibility. Semantic regions (destinations) like \fonttbl, \colortbl, \stylesheet, \info, and \pict organize metadata and payloads. Unknown control words must be ignored and unknown destinations skipped, enabling forward/backward compatibility across dialects.
• Character, paragraph, and section formatting. Core typography (bold/italic/underline/strike), fonts and sizes, colors, alignment, spacing, indents, tabs, page breaks, and sections are supported with granular resets such as \plain (character) and \pard (paragraph).
• Font and color tables. Centralized \fonttbl and \colortbl declare resources once and reference them later, ensuring consistent styling and compact markup.
• Unicode and code-page encoding. International text is supported via \uN Unicode escapes with \ucN fallback control, plus hex escapes (\'hh) under a declared code page (e.g., \ansicpg1252) for legacy bytes.
• Embedded graphics and objects. Images are carried in \pict (WMF/EMF/PNG/JPEG, typically hex-encoded) and applications can embed OLE objects as dedicated destinations, allowing rich content beyond text.
• Lists and tables. Procedural constructs (\trowd, \cellxN, \intbl, \row) build tables, while list controls handle bullets and numbering, covering common document layout needs.
• Page layout controls. Paper size, margins, headers/footers, and section properties are represented with control words, enabling predictable pagination across readers.
• Deterministic resets and scoping. Ending a group reverts temporary formatting, and explicit resets (\plain, \pard) provide clear state control are useful for generators and robust parsers.
• Extensibility with safe fallbacks. The \* prefix marks ignorable destinations, letting producers add app-specific data without breaking other readers.
• Portability and tooling friendliness. Being text, RTF is easy to diff, template, or generate from scripts, and it travels well across platforms without binary converters.
• Media type and file identity. Distributed as .rtf with application/rtf, the format’s header (e.g., {\rtf1\ansi\deff0 ...}) declares version and defaults, helping parsers negotiate capabilities.

Rich Text Format Uses

RTF is best suited for scenarios where you need formatted text that remains readable, portable, and easy to generate without proprietary libraries. Because it is plain text with predictable control words, it’s widely supported by editors, converters, and automation scripts. Here are the most common uses of RTF:

• Cross-application document exchange. Share basic formatted documents (headings, bold/italic, lists, tables) between different word processors and operating systems with minimal fidelity loss.
• Email and clipboard interchange. Preserve styling when pasting between apps or embedding formatted text in emails.
• Template-driven document generation. Produce letters, invoices, labels, or reports from server-side scripts by injecting data into RTF templates without needing Office automation.
• Lightweight documentation and notes. Create simple specs, meeting notes, or README-style docs that keep emphasis and structure while staying diff-friendly in version control.
• CMS and knowledge base exports. Export/import articles with basic formatting where HTML is overkill or blocked, keeping content portable.
• Forms and mail-merge outputs. Generate merge documents (offers, statements) that must open in standard office suites and print consistently.
• Archival of simple records. Store human-inspectable, long-lived text with minimal tooling dependencies, and are useful when binary formats may become unreadable.
• Embedding in other formats/payloads. Include RTF fragments in systems that accept rich text fields (e.g., ticketing, EHR/HL7 notes, or app-specific rich text controls).
• Programmatic conversion hub. Serve as an intermediate format for pipelines converting between DOC/DOCX/ODT/HTML/PDF, leveraging abundant converters.
• Education and training materials. Distribute worksheets or handouts where recipients might have varied software but still need basic styling.
• Logging and test artifacts. Emit readable, styled test reports or logs from automation that engineers can quickly inspect in any editor.
• International text with fallbacks. Store multilingual content using \uN escapes while remaining legible as ASCII, helping systems that need graceful degradation.

How Do I Create an RTF File?

Here are practical ways to create an RTF file.

Quick (no-code) methods

• Windows (Notepad/WordPad/Word): Open Notepad → paste your text → File → Save As → set “Save as type” to All Files, name it mydoc.rtf, and include .rtf. (WordPad/Word: File → Save As → Rich Text Format (.rtf).)
• macOS (TextEdit): TextEdit → Format → Make Rich Text → File → Save… → choose RTF.
• Linux (LibreOffice Writer): Create your doc → File → Save As → choose Rich Text Format (.rtf).

Create one “from scratch” in any text editor

RTF is plain text. Create a new file, paste the minimal template below, then save as example.rtf (UTF-8 is fine):

{\rtf1\ansi\deff0

{\fonttbl{\f0 Times New Roman;}}

\fs24\f0 Hello, \b world\b0.\par

}

Open it in any word processor to see bold formatting applied to “world”.

Programmatically (automation-friendly)

• Python (write a file):

content = r"""{\rtf1\ansi\deff0

{\fonttbl{\f0 Arial;}}

\fs24\f0 This file was generated by Python.\par

}"""

with open("generated.rtf", "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:

    f.write(content)

• PowerShell (Windows one-liner):

'$($@"{\rtf1\ansi\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0 Calibri;}}\fs24\f0 PS-made RTF.\par}"@)' | Out-File -Encoding UTF8 example.rtf

• Convert an existing doc to RTF (headless):

libreoffice --headless --convert-to rtf input.docx

How Do I Open a Rich Text Format File?

Here’s how to open an RTF file on any device.

Desktop

• Windows: Double-click the .rtf file. It opens in WordPad or Word (if installed). Or right-click → Open with → choose Word, WordPad, Notepad (renders plain text), or another editor.
  CLI: start "" "C:\path\file.rtf"
• macOS: Double-click to open in TextEdit (default) or right-click → Open With → Pages, Microsoft Word, etc.
  CLI: open /path/file.rtf
• Linux: Open with LibreOffice Writer, AbiWord, or any capable editor (e.g., Kate, Gedit).
  CLI: xdg-open /path/file.rtf

Mobile

• iOS/iPadOS: Use Files → tap the .rtf; it opens in Quick Look/TextEdit viewer. You can also open in Pages, Word, or other editors via the Share sheet.
• Android: Use your file manager; open with Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or another text editor. If prompted to pick an app, choose one that supports rich text.

In other apps / the web

• Email clients and note apps (Outlook, Apple Mail, Evernote, Notion, etc.) often open/import RTF directly.
• Browsers typically download .rtf rather than display it; upload to Google Drive and open with Google Docs if you want an in-browser view.

If it won’t open or looks wrong

• Pick a richer editor: Some simple editors (e.g., Notepad) show control words instead of formatting—use Word, TextEdit, or LibreOffice Writer.
• Reassociate the default app:
  • Windows: Settings → Apps → Default apps → Choose default by file type → .rtf.
  • macOS: Right-click file → Get Info → Open with → choose app → Change All….
• Convert the file: Use Word/LibreOffice (“Save As… → RTF/DOCX/PDF”) or headless conversion: libreoffice --headless --convert-to docx file.rtf.
• Encoding issues: If accented characters look garbled, open in Word/TextEdit/LibreOffice (they handle RTF Unicode escapes). Avoid plain-text editors for viewing.
• Blocked content: Some RTFs contain embedded objects that certain email/security tools block. Save the file locally and open in a desktop editor.

What Are the Advantages and the Disadvantages of Rich Text Format?

Rich text format comes with clear trade-offs. Its plain-text markup makes documents easy to exchange, inspect, and generate across platforms, but that same simplicity limits layout fidelity and advanced features. The next section outlines RTF’s main advantages for portability and automation alongside its drawbacks in rendering consistency, capability, and security posture.

Rich Text Format Advantages

RTF excels as a lightweight, interoperable document format. Its plain-text syntax makes files easy to generate, parse, and troubleshoot while preserving essential formatting across different editors and operating systems. Here are its main advantages:

• Wide interoperability. Most word processors (Word, TextEdit, LibreOffice, Google Docs via import) can read/write RTF, making it a reliable exchange format across platforms and toolchains.
• Human-readable, plain-text structure. RTF uses backslash control words and braces, so files can be inspected in any text editor, diffed in version control, and programmatically templated without proprietary SDKs.
• Stable, predictable core feature set. Bold, italics, fonts, sizes, colors, alignment, tabs, lists, simple tables, and page settings are well supported, covering common document needs without complex layout engines.
• Forward compatibility rules. Conforming readers ignore unknown control words and skip unknown destinations, allowing documents created by newer software to remain readable in older applications.
• Good for automation and templating. Being text, RTF is easy to generate from scripts (e.g., server-side mail-merge, report emitters) and embed into pipelines without headless Office dependencies.
• Resilience and recoverability. Text files degrade gracefully, and partial corruption or transmission issues often leave most content readable, unlike tightly packed binaries.
• Decent Unicode support with fallbacks. \uN escapes plus \ucN let producers include international text while providing ASCII fallbacks for older readers.
• Clipboard and email friendliness. Many OS clipboards and mail clients handle RTF as a rich interchange format, preserving styling when copy-pasting or attaching simple formatted docs.
• Security posture (relative to macro formats). RTF has no macro language, and many environments prefer it over macro-enabled binaries for basic document exchange (though embedded objects can still be restricted).
• Longevity and portability. .rtf files remain accessible across decades of software changes thanks to their specification and broad reader support, making them suitable for archiving simple records.

Rich Text Format Disadvantages

RTF’s simplicity and portability come at a cost. It handles basic formatting well, but it lacks many modern layout, structure, and collaboration capabilities, so fidelity and features can fall short compared to DOCX, ODT, or PDF. Here are the main downsides of RTF:

• Limited layout and styling. No advanced typography, stylesheets, complex page layouts, or sophisticated table/figure handling. The results often look “plain” versus modern formats.
• Inconsistent rendering across apps. Different RTF parsers implement subsets or dialects, leading to variations in spacing, lists, tables, and embedded objects.
• Weak document structure/semantics. No native content model for headings, sections, references, or accessibility semantics on par with DOCX/HTML, making robust workflows harder.
• Basic collaboration/versioning. Lacks first-class track changes, comments, and metadata workflows common in contemporary office formats.
• Bulky for rich content. Embedded images/objects are hex-encoded, inflating file size compared to binary or ZIP-based containers.
• Encoding pitfalls. Mixed code pages, hex escapes, and \uN fallbacks can produce mojibake in older or nonconforming readers.
• Security surface via embeddings. While RTF has no macros, OLE/object embeddings have been abused, and many mail gateways flag or strip them.
• Aging ecosystem. Spec evolution largely stalled. Now, fewer tools prioritize full RTF fidelity, and some modern features are impossible to represent.
• Conversion lossiness. Round-tripping between RTF and richer formats can drop styles, advanced tables, headers/footers nuance, or accessibility tags.
• Poor web/native app fit. Doesn’t map cleanly to HTML/CSS or responsive rendering, many web editors import/export with compromises.

Rich Text Format FAQ

Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions about rich text format.

Does RTF Support Images?

Yes, RTF can embed images using the \pict destination, which carries raster or vector data (historically WMF/EMF and DIB; many readers also accept PNG and JPEG) as hex-encoded bytes inside the document. The picture group can include metadata such as original width/height in twips (\picw, \pich) and optional scaling (\picscalex, \picscaley), and it may specify format hints (e.g., \pngblip, \jpegblip).

RTF can also wrap application objects via OLE (\object/\objdata), though these are less portable and often blocked by security policies. Support and rendering fidelity depend on the reader: newer apps usually handle PNG/JPEG correctly, while older or minimal parsers may only handle WMF/EMF/DIB. Because image data is embedded as text, files grow quickly, and large images can make RTF documents bulky and slower to load.

Is Rich Text Format the Same as PDF?

No, RTF and PDF serve different purposes.

RTF is a plain-text markup for editable documents. It stores text plus basic formatting using control words and brace-scoped groups and relies on the opening app’s rendering engine. PDF is a fixed-layout page description format designed for consistent viewing and printing; it embeds fonts, vector/raster graphics, annotations, forms, links, and supports features like compression, accessibility tags, digital signatures, and (optionally) JavaScript.

RTF is best for cross-editor interchange while you’re still writing or templating, while PDF is best for distribution when the layout must look identical everywhere and be hard to alter. You can often export from RTF (or DOCX) to PDF, but not the other way around without losing editability or structure.

Rich Text Format vs. Plain Text

Here is a detailed comparison of rich text format and plain text in a table: