Extract text from Raster image files (RTL)
To convert RTL Raster images to another format, you need HP Click or other Raster Image software.
To convert other file formats to the "Printer Spool File" file type, you need software like HP Click or a similar tool.
The .RTL file extension primarily represents a Raster Transfer Language file developed by Hewlett-Packard. It is a specialized, hardware-specific format used to send raw raster graphics and layout instructions directly to large-format plotters and printers. These files act as the final payload for the printer hardware, containing exact dot-placement data for engineering drawings, banners, and schematics.
Because .RTL files are essentially raw print spools, they are notoriously difficult to work with outside of a print production environment. They are proprietary, hardware-dependent, and lack native support in standard operating systems, image editors, or web browsers. Without specialized RIP (Raster Image Processor) software, CAD viewers, or printer drivers, you cannot natively preview the contents of an .RTL graphic.
You need to convert .RTL files to standard formats if you want to share, archive, or view the schematics on standard devices. The most reliable conversion targets are PDF for document sharing, or PNG and JPG for simple image viewing. Converting to standard formats ensures universal access, though you will permanently lose the specific machine-level print commands.
The .RTL extension is also used for a variety of other software logs and data files. This includes laser calibration targets for Renishaw systems, FactoryTalk runtime logs by Rockwell Automation, Cisco router logs, and Run-Time Library files for Delphi development environments. These alternate uses are often stored as plain text or XML data.
Standard online converters routinely fail with .RTL files because they lack the specific RIP engine required to parse HP's plotter commands or differentiate between the file's many use cases.
Convert.Guru analyzes your RTL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted RTF, RLT, PDF, DOCX, STL, ZIP, TXT, PNG, DCX and DPX files.
If you want to convert RTL file to JPG, PDF, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, TIF, WEBP, ICO, CUR, PSD or PSB, you can use HP Click or similar software from the "Plotter Raster Graphics" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert RAW, PNG, AI, NEF, PSB, DNG, SVG, GIF, EPS, JPG, ARW or PDF files to RTL, try HP Click or another comparable tool in the "Plotter Raster Graphics" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our RTL converter.