Convert RTF to TXT

Why Convert RTF to TXT?

Converting RTF documents to TXT (plain text) format is essential when you need to extract pure text content without any formatting. When you convert RTF to TXT, you're removing all the rich text formatting, styling, and embedded objects, leaving only the raw text. This is particularly useful for data processing, content analysis, search indexing, or when you need to import text into applications that don't support rich formatting.

RTF (Rich Text Format) files contain complex markup codes for formatting, fonts, colors, and embedded objects. These control codes can interfere with text processing, data analysis, or content extraction tasks. By converting to plain text, you eliminate all formatting overhead and get clean, searchable text that's easy to process programmatically.

Our converter uses advanced text extraction powered by Pandoc to preserve the actual content while stripping away all RTF control codes, fonts, colors, and formatting. The resulting .txt file is lightweight, universally compatible, and can be opened on any device with any text editor. Perfect for programmers extracting content, data analysts processing documents, researchers analyzing text, or anyone who needs clean, unformatted text from their RTF files.

The conversion maintains proper line breaks and paragraph structure while removing all unnecessary formatting overhead. This makes the text ideal for version control systems like Git, text analysis tools, search engines, database imports, and machine learning datasets. The resulting TXT file is typically 70-90% smaller than the original RTF file, making it more efficient for storage and transmission.

Key Benefits of Converting RTF to TXT:

• Clean Text Extraction: Remove all formatting and get pure content
• Smaller File Size: Reduce file size by 70-90% by removing markup
• Universal Compatibility: Open on any device with any text editor
• Version Control: Perfect for Git and other VCS systems
• Data Processing: Ideal for text analysis and NLP tasks
• Search Indexing: Clean text for database and search systems

Practical Examples

Example 1: Simple RTF Document

Input RTF file (document.rtf):

{\rtf1\ansi\deff0
{\fonttbl{\f0 Times New Roman;}}
{\colortbl;\red0\green0\blue0;\red255\green0\blue0;}
\f0\fs24 \b This is bold text.\b0
\par \i This is italic text.\i0
\par \ul This is underlined.\ulnone
}

Output TXT file (document.txt):

This is bold text.
This is italic text.
This is underlined.

Example 2: Business Letter

Input RTF file (letter.rtf) with formatting:

Formatted business letter with:
- Bold headings
- Different fonts (Times New Roman, Arial)
- Colored text (red for important)
- Underlined sections
- Bullet points

Output TXT file (letter.txt) - clean text only:

Dear Customer,

We are pleased to inform you about our new product line.

Key Features:
Product A - High quality
Product B - Affordable
Product C - Innovative

Best regards,
Sales Team

Example 3: Technical Documentation

Input RTF file (manual.rtf) - 50 KB with images and tables:

RTF with:
- Multiple font sizes and styles
- Embedded images
- Tables with borders
- Headers and footers
- Page numbers
Size: 50 KB

Output TXT file (manual.txt) - pure text only:

Installation Guide

Step 1: Download the software
Step 2: Run the installer
Step 3: Follow the wizard

Feature    Description
Feature A  Does X
Feature B  Does Y
Feature C  Does Z

Size: 5 KB (90% smaller!)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is RTF format?

A: RTF (Rich Text Format) is a document format developed by Microsoft in 1987. It uses ASCII-based markup to encode text formatting, fonts, colors, and embedded objects. RTF files are cross-platform and can be opened by most word processors.

Q: Will I lose data when converting RTF to TXT?

A: You will lose all formatting (bold, italic, colors, fonts) and embedded objects (images, tables). However, the actual text content is preserved completely. This is the intended purpose—to extract clean text.

Q: How much smaller will my TXT file be?

A: Typically 70-90% smaller! RTF files contain extensive formatting markup. For example, a 50 KB RTF document might become a 5-10 KB TXT file, depending on how much formatting was used.

Q: Can I convert TXT back to RTF?

A: Yes, but you won't recover the original formatting. Converting TXT back to RTF will create a basic RTF file with the text content but no special formatting, since that information was removed during the initial conversion.

Q: What encoding is used for the TXT file?

A: Our converter creates UTF-8 encoded TXT files, which supports all Unicode characters including international text, emoji, and special symbols. UTF-8 is the most universal text encoding.

Q: Why convert RTF to TXT instead of DOCX or PDF?

A: TXT is the simplest format—no formatting, no markup, just pure text. It's ideal for data processing, text analysis, version control (Git), programming, and any situation where you need clean, searchable text without formatting overhead.

Q: Can I edit the TXT file?

A: Absolutely! TXT files can be opened and edited in any text editor—Notepad, TextEdit, VS Code, Sublime Text, Vim, or any other text editor on any platform. No special software required.

Q: Is the conversion secure?

A: Yes! Conversion happens on our secure servers. Files are processed immediately and automatically deleted after a short period. We don't store or access your document content.