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Convert RTF Documents to Plain TXT Format Easily
Learn how to convert Rich Text Format (RTF) documents into plain text (.TXT) files quickly and reliably. Understand the benefits, uses, and limitations of converting formatted RTF files into universal TXT text files.
Quick Access To 10 RTF File Conversion Pairs
What Is This Tool?
This tool allows you to convert documents from Rich Text Format (RTF), a markup language supporting formatted text and embedded objects, into plain text files (TXT), which contain only unformatted, human-readable text. The conversion removes styling and embedded components, yielding a simple text file suitable for universal use.
How to Use This Tool?
- Upload your RTF file containing formatted text and embedded objects.
- Select TXT as the output format to convert to plain text.
- Click the convert button to start the conversion process.
- Download the resulting TXT file containing only the unformatted text and line breaks.
- Open the TXT file with any text editor or tool for further use.
Key Features
- Convert RTF documents into universally supported plain text (TXT) files.
- Strip all formatting, embedded images, and objects for lightweight output.
- Produce human-readable text suitable for scripts, logs, and note-taking.
- Support for cross-platform interoperability by generating plain-text files.
- Simplify complex RTF formatting into a small and easy-to-process TXT format.
Examples
- Convert meeting notes saved as RTF into TXT to index searchable text without formatting issues.
- Transform RTF reports into plain text for automated scripts that extract numeric or textual data.
- Create simple README or note files from formatted documents by exporting their raw text.
- Reduce document size by stripping formatting when archiving long-term text content.
Common Use Cases
- Extracting text content from complex RTF files for processing by command-line tools or scripts.
- Producing plain-text documentation, notes, or configuration files editable by any text editor.
- Generating log files and software source snippets stripped of formatting for version control.
- Simplifying formatted documents to lightweight, universally compatible plain text for storage or analysis.
Tips & Best Practices
- Be aware that all fonts, styles, and embedded objects in the original RTF file will be lost after conversion.
- Verify that your converter properly handles RTF Unicode escape sequences to prevent character corruption.
- Choose an appropriate text encoding (such as UTF-8) and newline convention when saving TXT files for best compatibility.
- Use the converted TXT files for cases where formatting is unnecessary or a distraction.
- For security, avoid relying on embedded OLE objects originally in the RTF, as they are stripped out.
Limitations
- All RTF formatting including fonts, styles, alignment, and embedded images or objects is removed.
- Unicode characters in RTF may not convert correctly if escape sequences are mishandled, causing corrupted text.
- TXT files have no styling, layout, or embedded media and only preserve line breaks and plain text characters.
- Encoding (ASCII, UTF-8/UTF-16) and newline variations in TXT can affect interoperability if not standardized.
- OLE objects and binary data in RTF are discarded during conversion, potentially losing metadata or content.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happens to images and formatting when converting RTF to TXT?
- All formatting such as fonts, styles, and embedded images or objects are removed, leaving only plain text and line breaks.
- Can Unicode characters in RTF be accurately preserved in TXT?
- Unicode uses escape sequences in RTF which may be misdecoded if not properly handled, potentially causing character corruption in TXT.
- Why convert RTF files to TXT format?
- Converting to TXT creates a lightweight, universally readable text file suitable for scripting, logs, notes, and tools requiring unformatted text.
Key Terminology
- RTF (Rich Text Format)
- A markup document format encoding formatted text, fonts, styles, images, and OLE objects using readable control words and groups.
- TXT (Plain Text)
- A simple file format with only unformatted text characters and line breaks, making it widely supported across editors and systems.
- OLE Objects
- Embedded objects within RTF files that can include linked or embedded binary data, often causing security and interoperability issues.