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How to Convert RTF to PDF Using C#

How to Convert RTF to PDF in IronPDF C#

Curtis Chau
Curtis Chau
Updated:

IronPDF converts RTF documents to PDF in C# using the RenderRtfStringAsPdf and RenderRtfFileAsPdf methods on ChromePdfRenderer, accepting either an RTF string or a file path and returning a PdfDocument you can save, secure, or merge.

RTF (Rich Text Format) is a document format Microsoft introduced in 1987. It stores text alongside formatting commands such as fonts, styles, colors, and bullet lists as plain text, which is why it travels well between editors. Turning RTF into PDF gives you a fixed-layout file that looks the same on any device, can be password-protected, and is ready to print or archive.

Please noteIronPDF renders RTF through its document conversion path, which interprets RTF markup directly, not through the Chrome HTML engine used for HTML to PDF. Standard formatting such as bold, italic, underline, colors, fonts, and simple bullet lists converts reliably. Less common RTF control words, nested tables, and embedded OLE objects may not round-trip exactly, so review the output when a document uses advanced features.

Quickstart: Convert RTF to PDF Using IronPDF

Render a Rich Text Format file to PDF in a single call. Point RenderRtfFileAsPdf at the RTF path, then save the returned document.

  1. Install IronPDF with NuGet Package Manager

    PM > Install-Package IronPdf

  2. Copy and run this code snippet.

    new IronPdf.ChromePdfRenderer()
     .RenderRtfFileAsPdf("input.rtf")
     .SaveAs("output.pdf");

  3. Deploy to test on your live environment

    Start using IronPDF in your project today with a free trial

    arrow pointer

Minimal Workflow (5 steps)

  1. Download the C# library for converting RTF to PDF
  2. Prepare the RTF file or string you wish to convert
  3. Use the RenderRtfStringAsPdf method to convert from an RTF string
  4. Use the RenderRtfFileAsPdf method to convert from an RTF file
  5. Review the generated PDF document


How Do I Convert an RTF String to PDF?

Use the RenderRtfStringAsPdf method to turn an RTF string into a PDF document. String input suits content you build at runtime: RTF pulled from a database column, returned by an API, or assembled in code, with no temporary file to write or clean up. The method returns a PdfDocument, so you can keep working on the result, applying headers and footers, merging pages, or adding annotations and bookmarks.

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/rtf-to-pdf-from-string.cs
using IronPdf;

// Instantiate Renderer
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// RTF string
string rtf = @"{\rtf1\ansi\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0 Arial;}}{\colortbl;\red0\green0\blue0;}\cf0This is some \b bold \b0 and \i italic \i0 text.}";

// Render from RTF string
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderRtfStringAsPdf(rtf);

// Save the PDF
pdf.SaveAs("pdfFromRtfString.pdf");
Imports IronPdf

' Instantiate Renderer
Private renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

' RTF string
Private rtf As String = "{\rtf1\ansi\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0 Arial;}}{\colortbl;\red0\green0\blue0;}\cf0This is some \b bold \b0 and \i italic \i0 text.}"

' Render from RTF string
Private pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderRtfStringAsPdf(rtf)

' Save the PDF
pdf.SaveAs("pdfFromRtfString.pdf")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Output

How Can I Apply Additional Formatting Options?

The same RenderingOptions you use for HTML rendering apply here. Set the paper orientation, margins, and page size on the renderer before you call RenderRtfStringAsPdf:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/rtf-to-pdf-3.cs
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;

// Create renderer with custom options
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Landscape;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 50;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 50;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 25;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 25;

// RTF string with formatting
string rtf = @"{\rtf1\ansi\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0 Times New Roman;}{\f1 Arial;}}
{\colortbl;\red255\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue255;}
\f0\fs24 This is a heading\line
\f1\fs20\cf1 This text is red\line
\cf2 This text is blue\line
\b Bold text\b0 and \i italic text\i0}";

// Convert with custom options
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderRtfStringAsPdf(rtf);
pdf.SaveAs("formattedRtfToPdf.pdf");

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering

' Create renderer with custom options
Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Landscape
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 50
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 50
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 25
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 25

' RTF string with formatting
Dim rtf As String = "{\rtf1\ansi\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0 Times New Roman;}{\f1 Arial;}}" & _
                    "{\colortbl;\red255\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue255;}" & _
                    "\f0\fs24 This is a heading\line" & _
                    "\f1\fs20\cf1 This text is red\line" & _
                    "\cf2 This text is blue\line" & _
                    "\b Bold text\b0 and \i italic text\i0}"

' Convert with custom options
Dim pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderRtfStringAsPdf(rtf)
pdf.SaveAs("formattedRtfToPdf.pdf")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

For finer control over page geometry, see the guides on custom margins and custom paper sizes.

Output

How Do I Convert an RTF File to PDF?

Pass the path of your document to RenderRtfFileAsPdf. The method accepts both absolute and relative paths. Download a sample RTF file to follow along: sample.rtf. The example below renders that file to PDF.

Input

Microsoft Word displaying RTF file with formatted text examples including bold, italic, bullets, and underlined text

What Code Do I Need to Convert RTF Files?

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/rtf-to-pdf-from-file.cs
using IronPdf;

// Instantiate Renderer
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// Render from RTF file
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf("sample.rtf");

// Save the PDF
pdf.SaveAs("pdfFromRtfFile.pdf");
Imports IronPdf

' Instantiate Renderer
Private renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

' Render from RTF file
Private pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf("sample.rtf")

' Save the PDF
pdf.SaveAs("pdfFromRtfFile.pdf")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

To convert a folder of documents, reuse one renderer and loop over the files:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/rtf-to-pdf-5.cs
using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

// Create renderer once for efficiency
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// Get all RTF files in directory
string[] rtfFiles = Directory.GetFiles(@"C:\RTFDocuments", "*.rtf");

foreach (string rtfFile in rtfFiles)
{
    // Convert each RTF file to PDF
    PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf(rtfFile);
    
    // Save with same name but PDF extension
    string pdfPath = Path.ChangeExtension(rtfFile, ".pdf");
    pdf.SaveAs(pdfPath);
}

Imports IronPdf
Imports System.IO

' Create renderer once for efficiency
Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

' Get all RTF files in directory
Dim rtfFiles As String() = Directory.GetFiles("C:\RTFDocuments", "*.rtf")

For Each rtfFile As String In rtfFiles
    ' Convert each RTF file to PDF
    Dim pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf(rtfFile)
    
    ' Save with same name but PDF extension
    Dim pdfPath As String = Path.ChangeExtension(rtfFile, ".pdf")
    pdf.SaveAs(pdfPath)
Next
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Output

What Are Common Issues When Converting RTF Files?

A few situations need attention when rendering RTF files:

  1. Fonts: A font named in the RTF must be installed on the machine doing the conversion, which matters most on headless servers and containers. The font management guide covers registering fonts at runtime.
  2. Large documents: Render long files off the request thread with the async API so the application stays responsive.
  3. International characters: Documents with non-Latin scripts depend on correct encoding in the source RTF and an installed font that covers those glyphs.
  4. Advanced markup: Nested tables and embedded objects may not reproduce exactly. Compare the output against the source when a document relies on them.

How Can I Add Security to the Converted PDF?

After rendering, lock the document down through SecuritySettings, setting an owner password, a user password, and copy and print permissions:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/rtf-to-pdf-6.cs
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Security;

// Convert RTF to PDF
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf("confidential.rtf");

// Apply security settings
pdf.SecuritySettings.MakePdfDocumentReadOnly("owner_password");
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user_password";
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint;

// Save secured PDF
pdf.SaveAs("secured_document.pdf");

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Security

' Convert RTF to PDF
Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf("confidential.rtf")

' Apply security settings
pdf.SecuritySettings.MakePdfDocumentReadOnly("owner_password")
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user_password"
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint

' Save secured PDF
pdf.SaveAs("secured_document.pdf")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

The PDF permissions and passwords guide covers the full set of restriction options.

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How Do I Combine Multiple RTF Files into One PDF?

Render each RTF file to its own PdfDocument, then call PdfDocument.Merge to join them. This builds a single deliverable from several source documents, such as chapters of a report:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/rtf-to-pdf-7.cs
using IronPdf;
using System.Collections.Generic;

// Create renderer
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// Convert multiple RTF files
List<PdfDocument> pdfs = new List<PdfDocument>();
pdfs.Add(renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf("chapter1.rtf"));
pdfs.Add(renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf("chapter2.rtf"));
pdfs.Add(renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf("chapter3.rtf"));

// Merge PDFs
PdfDocument mergedPdf = PdfDocument.Merge(pdfs);

// Add page numbers across the merged document
mergedPdf.AddTextFooters(new TextHeaderFooter
{
    CenterText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}",
    FontSize = 12
});

// Save combined document
mergedPdf.SaveAs("combined_document.pdf");

// Clean up individual PDFs
foreach (var pdf in pdfs)
{
    pdf.Dispose();
}

Imports IronPdf
Imports System.Collections.Generic

' Create renderer
Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

' Convert multiple RTF files
Dim pdfs As New List(Of PdfDocument)()
pdfs.Add(renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf("chapter1.rtf"))
pdfs.Add(renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf("chapter2.rtf"))
pdfs.Add(renderer.RenderRtfFileAsPdf("chapter3.rtf"))

' Merge PDFs
Dim mergedPdf As PdfDocument = PdfDocument.Merge(pdfs)

' Add page numbers across the merged document
mergedPdf.AddTextFooters(New TextHeaderFooter With {
    .CenterText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}",
    .FontSize = 12
})

' Save combined document
mergedPdf.SaveAs("combined_document.pdf")

' Clean up individual PDFs
For Each pdf In pdfs
    pdf.Dispose()
Next pdf
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

The footer placeholders {page} and {total-pages} number the pages across the merged result.

How Do I Return a Converted PDF From a Web Endpoint?

In ASP.NET, render the RTF inside the action and return the document's bytes as a file result. Read the BinaryData property of the PdfDocument and hand it to File:

[HttpGet]
public IActionResult ConvertRtfToPdf(string rtfContent)
{
    ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
    PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderRtfStringAsPdf(rtfContent);
    return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "converted_document.pdf");
}
[HttpGet]
public IActionResult ConvertRtfToPdf(string rtfContent)
{
    ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
    PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderRtfStringAsPdf(rtfContent);
    return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "converted_document.pdf");
}
<HttpGet>
Public Function ConvertRtfToPdf(rtfContent As String) As IActionResult
    Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
    Dim pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderRtfStringAsPdf(rtfContent)
    Return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "converted_document.pdf")
End Function
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Conclusion

IronPDF converts RTF to PDF from both strings and files through RenderRtfStringAsPdf and RenderRtfFileAsPdf, and the resulting PdfDocument plugs into the rest of the library for layout, security, and merging. From here, pair RTF conversion with the custom margins and headers and footers shown above, or move on to the full list of PDF conversions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert an RTF file to PDF in C#?

With IronPDF, you can convert an RTF file to PDF in just two lines of code using the RenderRtfFileAsPdf method. Simply create a ChromePdfRenderer instance and call RenderRtfFileAsPdf with your input file path, then save the result using SaveAs method.

Can I convert RTF strings directly to PDF without saving them as files first?

Yes, IronPDF provides the RenderRtfStringAsPdf method that allows you to convert RTF content from strings directly to PDF documents. This is particularly useful when working with dynamically generated RTF content or data from databases.

Does the RTF to PDF conversion preserve formatting and styles?

IronPDF renders RTF through its document conversion path, so standard formatting such as fonts, styles, colors, bold, italic, and simple bullet lists converts reliably. Less common control words, nested tables, and embedded OLE objects may not round-trip exactly, so review the output when a document uses advanced features.

What are the benefits of converting RTF to PDF?

Converting RTF to PDF with IronPDF offers several benefits: easy accessibility across platforms, compression capabilities, printing optimization, consistent document appearance regardless of viewing device, enhanced security features, and professional document distribution readiness.

Can I add headers, footers, and page numbers to my converted PDF?

Yes, IronPDF supports the full range of RenderingOptions when converting RTF to PDF. You can apply text and HTML headers and footers, add page numbering, implement text and image stamping, and customize page sizes and orientations.

Is it possible to manipulate the PDF after converting from RTF?

Absolutely! After generating your PDF from RTF using IronPDF, you can perform various page manipulations including merging and splitting PDFs, rotating pages, adding annotations, and implementing bookmarks.

Curtis Chau
Curtis Chau
  Chat with engineering team now
Technical Writer

Curtis Chau holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (Carleton University) and specializes in front-end development with expertise in Node.js, TypeScript, JavaScript, and React. Passionate about crafting intuitive and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces, Curtis enjoys working with modern frameworks and creating well-structured, visually appealing manuals.

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