Merge Documents with textutil -cat
textutil -cat concatenates mixed-format files (txt, rtf, docx, html) into a single output document, converting each on the fly.
Run `textutil -cat rtf merged.rtf file1.txt file2.docx` to merge mixed files into one RTF.
01Command
Command
$ textutil -cat rtf merged.rtf intro.txt chapter1.docx chapter2.rtf02What it does
Most people know textutil -convert for single-file conversion but miss -cat, which concatenates any number of input files into one output while converting each into the target format. The first argument after -cat is the output format (txt, rtf, rtfd, html, doc, docx, odt, webarchive), and -output names the result. This is the quick way to assemble simple reports without Word — though heavy formatting from .docx sources may not survive perfectly.
03Risk
04Undo
✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.
05Sources
- textutil — manipulate text files (macOS man page)Evidence: Documents textutil -cat format for concatenating input files into a single output in any supported format.
Last verified: 2026-09-17 · Category: Media