Converting your Rich Text Format (RTF) files to PDF is a great way to make your documents more shareable and professional—whether it’s for work tasks, studying, or just your own personal use.
You can easily convert your RTF files to PDF in Dropbox. Use Dropbox to convert your RTF files and many other types of files to PDF in a few clicks. Here’s how to quickly convert your RTF file to PDF:
- Log in to dropbox.com.
- Hover over the RTF file you want to convert and click "...” (ellipsis).
- Hover over Save as… and click PDF.
- Your converted file will appear in the same folder as the original. If you don’t see your converted PDF file, try refreshing your browser.
It’s that simple—like everything in Dropbox. With a Dropbox plan you’re not only able to convert RTF files to PDF, you’ll also get the convenience of working with a more compatible format—and you can convert many other file types to PDF too.
What are RTF files?
Rich Text Format files are a commonly used document that supports text with a variety of fonts, styles, images, and formatting—similar to how a Word document can contain titles, tables, pictures, and other page elements.
It’s a proprietary Microsoft format but, unlike Word documents, RTF files are designed for greater compatibility and simplicity. This makes RTF files much easier to create, share, and open across different devices and software.
They’re popular for several reasons, here are a few advantages of using RTF files:
- Easier sharing—shareable across tools with minimal compatibility issues
- Cross-platform compatibility—all platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux can handle RTF files
- Support in other word processors—you can open, edit, or save RTF files in Word, Google Docs, and other tools
Despite these handy features, there are some disadvantages to using RTF files too:
- Doesn’t work with specialized software—certain tools, including Pages in macOS, do not work with RTF files
- Formatting errors—sometimes moving RTF files between platforms can affect fonts, text, tables, or styles
- Lack of advanced features—no useful document tools like tracking changes or advanced design elements
Although flexible, there are significant challenges to RTF files, which is why many people choose to convert them into PDF files—a much more universally accepted format. It’s easy to do in Dropbox.
PDF files help to maintain compatibility, but they also preserve the formatting of your documents. This makes the PDF format excellent for easily sharing and archiving old files.
Why use Dropbox to convert RTF to PDF
You can ensure that your RTF documents look professional and consistent in a PDF—no matter how they’re accessed. The reliable RTF to PDF conversion features in Dropbox also help create a more productive workflow.
Whether you’re converting RTF files to PDF or just managing your documents, here’s why Dropbox is the ideal tool:
- Quick and easy editing: Make edits to newly converted RTFs with ease by using the PDF editor in Dropbox. This speeds up document work and ensures files are always polished if you need to make a quick change.
- Organize and manage your files easily: Dropbox helps you store and organize the RTF or PDF files you work with. Create a neatly categorized library and make it easy to navigate all your documents—and other files too.
- Secure storage for all formats: RTFs, PDFs, and other formats all get the same secure storage. You’ll enjoy reliable cloud security with Dropbox—no matter what type of file you need to store.
- Easy file sharing: Security doesn’t come with a trade-off for convenience in Dropbox. Share converted PDF files quickly, with anyone—even if they don’t have a Dropbox account. Sharing is always simple, fast, and secure.
- Upload or download fast and sync effortlessly: Manage your RTF and PDF files easily with lightning-fast syncing and storage features. You can upload or download documents in seconds.
- Collaborate easily: Improve team collaboration with notes, reminders, or instructions directly within the shared files in your Dropbox account. It’s the perfect tool for keeping everyone aligned and informed.
Dropbox isn’t just a file converter—it’s a complete file management solution that also optimizes the way you work, for a productivity boost. Convert, manage, and store all kinds of file formats alongside other powerful features.
Convert RTF to PDF with Dropbox
Converting your RTF files to PDF with Dropbox is super simple to do in your Dropbox account—and it’s key to improving various aspects of your daily workflow. Make sure you see for yourself how it can transform your daily tasks.
Frequently asked questions
While RTF files offer several advantages, they also have some disadvantages. Drawbacks include compatibility issues with certain software, formatting inconsistencies, and limited support for advanced features compared to other document file types. This is why many people convert RTF files to other formats. When you convert to PDF, your files are much more universally accepted. The PDF format was developed by Adobe and works on many different operating systems (like Windows, Linux, macOS, and others) as well as on tablets or mobile devices (like iPhone or Android).
RTF files are commonly used for having greater compatibility than Word documents and because they offer more advanced features than basic word processing formats. This makes them a versatile option for sharing and exchanging documents. It gives you more options than basic text editing formats (like a .txt file) and is more useful for documents than spreadsheet or Excel formats (like .csv).
RTF files are text files that retain formatting information, while PDF files are a universal document format that preserves the original layout and formatting of a document. This makes PDFs ideal for sharing and viewing across different devices or software.
You can use Dropbox to convert RTF to PDF for free. Create a Dropbox account and follow the steps outlined in this article. There’s also a handy online PDF converter you can use for other file types. This tool lets you convert files like Word documents (.doc, .docx, and .docm), PowerPoint presentations (.ppt and .pptx), JPG, PNG, and other image formats (like TIFF, JPEG2 or Bitmap files) into PDF documents in seconds.
