RTF to PDF

Using IronPDF, you can convert your RTF (Rich Text Format) documents with embedded images into PDFs.

Convert rich-text content into PDF documents by invoking PdfDocument.renderRtfAsPdf. This method works with an RTF string or with an external file (specified as a Path or String). It returns a PdfDocument that you can further customize and then save with saveAs(...).

Be sure your RTF string is valid — renderRtfAsPdf will throw an IOException if it encounters formatting errors or unrecognizable elements.

How to Convert RTF to PDF in Java

1. Add IronPDF to your project (e.g., via Maven):

   <dependency>
    <groupId>com.ironsoftware</groupId>
    <artifactId>ironpdf</artifactId>
    <version>2025.6.5</version>
   </dependency>

   <dependency>
    <groupId>com.ironsoftware</groupId>
    <artifactId>ironpdf</artifactId>
    <version>2025.6.5</version>
   </dependency>

   XML
2. Use renderRtfAsPdf for RTF strings, or renderRtfFileAsPdf for files.
3. Save the resulting PDF with saveAs(...).

// Import IronPDF classes
import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.PdfDocument;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.nio.file.Path;
import java.nio.file.Paths;

public class RtfToPdfConverter {

    /**
     * Converts an RTF string to a PDF and saves it to the specified path.
     *
     * @param rtfContent The RTF content as a string.
     * @param outputPath The path where the PDF will be saved.
     * @throws IOException if there's an error during PDF creation.
     */
    public static void convertRtfStringToPdf(String rtfContent, String outputPath) throws IOException {
        // Render the RTF string as a PDF
        PdfDocument pdfDocument = PdfDocument.renderRtfAsPdf(rtfContent);
        // Save the PDF document
        pdfDocument.saveAs(Paths.get(outputPath));
    }

    /**
     * Converts an RTF file to a PDF and saves it to the specified path.
     *
     * @param rtfFilePath The path to the RTF file.
     * @param outputPath  The path where the PDF will be saved.
     * @throws IOException if there's an error during PDF creation.
     */
    public static void convertRtfFileToPdf(String rtfFilePath, String outputPath) throws IOException {
        // Render the RTF file as a PDF
        PdfDocument pdfDocument = PdfDocument.renderRtfFileAsPdf(Paths.get(rtfFilePath));
        // Save the PDF document
        pdfDocument.saveAs(Paths.get(outputPath));
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String rtfContent = "{\\rtf1\\ansi\\deff0 {\\fonttbl{\\f0 Arial;}}\\f0\\fs20 Hello, World!}";
        String outputFromString = "outputFromString.pdf";
        String outputFromFile = "outputFromFile.pdf";

        try {
            convertRtfStringToPdf(rtfContent, outputFromString);
            convertRtfFileToPdf("example.rtf", outputFromFile);
            System.out.println("Conversion complete");
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

// Import IronPDF classes
import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.PdfDocument;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.nio.file.Path;
import java.nio.file.Paths;

public class RtfToPdfConverter {

    /**
     * Converts an RTF string to a PDF and saves it to the specified path.
     *
     * @param rtfContent The RTF content as a string.
     * @param outputPath The path where the PDF will be saved.
     * @throws IOException if there's an error during PDF creation.
     */
    public static void convertRtfStringToPdf(String rtfContent, String outputPath) throws IOException {
        // Render the RTF string as a PDF
        PdfDocument pdfDocument = PdfDocument.renderRtfAsPdf(rtfContent);
        // Save the PDF document
        pdfDocument.saveAs(Paths.get(outputPath));
    }

    /**
     * Converts an RTF file to a PDF and saves it to the specified path.
     *
     * @param rtfFilePath The path to the RTF file.
     * @param outputPath  The path where the PDF will be saved.
     * @throws IOException if there's an error during PDF creation.
     */
    public static void convertRtfFileToPdf(String rtfFilePath, String outputPath) throws IOException {
        // Render the RTF file as a PDF
        PdfDocument pdfDocument = PdfDocument.renderRtfFileAsPdf(Paths.get(rtfFilePath));
        // Save the PDF document
        pdfDocument.saveAs(Paths.get(outputPath));
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String rtfContent = "{\\rtf1\\ansi\\deff0 {\\fonttbl{\\f0 Arial;}}\\f0\\fs20 Hello, World!}";
        String outputFromString = "outputFromString.pdf";
        String outputFromFile = "outputFromFile.pdf";

        try {
            convertRtfStringToPdf(rtfContent, outputFromString);
            convertRtfFileToPdf("example.rtf", outputFromFile);
            System.out.println("Conversion complete");
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}