How to Save an RTF File

Word processing programs like Microsoft Word have made creating documents easy. They allow quick editing and formatting through menu options and mouse clicks. Unfortunately, they often use proprietary formats that can't be exported to other document processing programs. However, saving a document in Rich Text Format (RTF) allows almost any document program to read your file.

Things You'll Need

• Word processing program

Instructions

1. Choose the "File" menu of your favorite word processing program and select the "Save" or "Save As" option to display the save dialog box.

2. Select "Rich Text Format (RTF)" in the type drop-down. Enter a new name for the file if needed.

3. Click "OK" or "Save" to save your document as an RTF file. Test that the file saved correctly by completely closing out of the word processing program and trying to open your file.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're looking for a free word processing program that can open and save RTF files, try OpenOffice Writer.

References

• Microsoft Office: Save a File

Resources

• OpenOffice: Download