Extract text from RTL files
To convert your RTL file to another format, you need ViewCompanion or other Raster Image software.
To convert other file formats to the "Printer Command File" file type, you need software like ViewCompanion or a similar tool.
The .rtl file extension most commonly refers to the Raster Transfer Language, a proprietary raster graphics format developed by Hewlett-Packard (HP) for use with their DesignJet plotters and printers. Unlike standard image files like JPG or PNG that are designed for screen viewing, RTL files are engineered for machine output, often serving as the raster companion to vector-based PLT or HP-GL/2 files in CAD workflows. This means your standard photo viewer or web browser likely cannot open them, and even powerful editors like Adobe Photoshop may require specific plugins or legacy conversion tools to interpret the data stream.
Users typically encounter these files when digging through archived engineering drawings or print spooler logs. The frustration lies in their inaccessibility; you have high-resolution plot data that is locked inside a format intended only for a printer's internal processor. To make these files usable for human review, archiving, or electronic distribution, the best workflow is converting them to PDF for documentation or TIFF to maintain the high-bit-depth quality typical of plotter outputs. For quick previews, converting to JPG is efficient, though you may lose some fine detail. Note: If your file is small (under 50KB), it might alternatively be a simple text-based log file (e.g., from a Cisco router or keylogger), which can be verified by attempting to open it in a text editor like Notepad++.
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 ViewCompanion 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 ViewCompanion 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.