09 january 2024, 12:23
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Your inbox can have all sorts of emails — receipts, invoices, certificates, bank statements, etc. — and it’s understandable to want to save some offline for easy retrieval. A PDF is the best file format for converting emails into offline documents you can retrieve anytime. This article will explain how to save an email as a PDF.
Why Should You Save Emails As PDFs?
PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It is the most popular platform-independent file format. If you save a file as PDF, you can open it on any operating system or device, and it’ll retain its formatting, visuals, hyperlinks, and any other characteristics.
The PDF standard was created back in 1992 by Adobe Systems, an American software company. Adobe has made this format free for public use, allowing anyone to create apps supporting it. You can open and edit PDF files using dozens of software tools, including Adobe’s own Acrobat.
Saving emails as PDFs means you can store and access them anywhere. It’s not the same story for other file formats that might not be supported on all operating systems or devices.
Let’s look at other reasons to save emails as PDFs.
Removing Confidential Information From Your Mailbox
Many people who receive confidential messages by email aren’t comfortable with keeping them online. If you fall under this category, it’s wise to save your sensitive emails offline as PDF documents. You’ll then delete the confidential information from your email storage to prevent any risks of theft via hacking or unauthorized access.
Simplifying Access
Storing emails outside your inbox in PDF format makes them easier to access. You don’t have to open your web browser or email app whenever you want to read an important message. You can organize the important documents using the directory structure and indexing tools you prefer.
How to Save an Email As PDF
It’s not difficult to save emails as PDF files, regardless of what email software you use. The basic principle is that you just print out the message you need. But instead of using a regular printer to get a copy on paper, you select a special Print to PDF device driver, which is already installed on your system. The result is a PDF file, instead of a printed document.
Below, we’ll explain how to do that in the most popular email clients.
How to Save an Outlook Email As PDF on Windows
Outlook is a popular email client offered by Microsoft, the company behind the Windows operating system. Let’s see how to save an Outlook email as a PDF with different Windows versions.
Windows 10 and Upwards
1. Launch the Outlook email app.
2. Open the message you want to save.
3. Click File > Print from the top menu.
4. Choose Microsoft Print to PDF from the drop-down menu under Printer.
5. Select Print.
6. In the Save Print Output As box, enter a filename and choose a folder to save the email.
7. Click Save.
Older Windows Versions
Windows versions before 10 and 11 cannot save emails directly from Outlook in PDF format. Hence, you must first save the file as HTML and then convert the HTML file to PDF.
1. Launch the Outlook email app.
2. Open the message you want to save.
3. Click File > Save As.
4. Choose the folder you want to save the file in and type a file name.
5. In the Save as type list, choose HTML and then Save.
6. Open Microsoft Word and choose File > Open.
7. Choose the HTML you saved in the 5th step.
8. Choose File > Save As and choose PDF (*.pdf) from the file type dropdown menu.
9. Click Save.
How to Save an Outlook Email As a PDF on Mac
Outlook allows Mac users to save emails directly in PDF format. We’ve outlined the process below.
1. Launch the Outlook email app.
2. Choose the email you want to save as a PDF.
3. Select File > Print from the top menu.
4. Find the PDF button on the Print menu and click the dropdown arrow.
5. Click Save as PDF.
6. Enter a file name and select the destination folder to save it.
You can also save an email as PDF using the online version of Outlook.
1. Head to your email account on Outlook.com.
2. Open the message you want to save as a PDF file.
3. Click the three dots at the upper right corner of the message and choose Print.
4. Click Print again to open a new menu and choose Save as PDF under Destination.
5. Click the Save button and choose the destination folder on your computer.
How to Save an Outlook Email As a PDF Using Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is the most popular tool for managing PDF files. It allows you to view, create, and edit PDF files easily. If you install this software, you can simultaneously convert multiple Outlook emails into Acrobat PDFs without taking the long steps we’ve outlined above.
Install Adobe Acrobat
You can install Adobe Acrobat on your Windows or Mac PC easily. As of 2023, Adobe offers this software for a moderate fee starting at US$12.99 per month with annual payment for the Standard version. If you install Acrobat after installing Outlook, it’ll be automatically integrated with your Outlook app.
Attach any document as PDF
Click Adobe Acrobat on the toolbar, and you’ll see two options: Attach as Adobe PDF or Attach as Secured Adobe PDF. They may come handy if you need to add Word, Excel or similar documents to your email but would like them attached as PDF instead of their original format. The former option means attaching the file as a regular PDF, while the latter creates a Secure PDF, which may be restricted from copying, opening, or printing.
Note, however, that the security features are easy to bypass with third-party apps.
Save Outlook emails as PDF
Launch the Outlook app and click Adobe Acrobat on the toolbar. You'll see four tabs: Selected Messages, Selected Folders, Change Conversion Settings, and Setup Automatic Archival. Two of these options are your concern: Selected Messages and Selected Folders.
To convert individual messages to PDF, click Selected Messages and select Create New PDF or Append To Existing PDF, whatever you need. Then head to the email you want to save as a PDF, right-click on it, and choose Convert to Adobe PDF. Name the file and click Save, and Adobe Acrobat will either save the selected emails as a new PDF or append them to an existing PDF document.
To save time and effort, you can save multiple emails as PDF simultaneously. Select all the emails you want to convert, move them to a separate mailbox folder and click on Selected Folders. Choose the folder you need converted to begin the process. When the task is finished, the file will be automatically opened in Adobe Acrobat.
How to Save an Email As a PDF in Gmail
The steps to save an email to PDF in Gmail are very similar to those described above.
1. Log into your email account on Gmail.
2. Locate the email you’d like to convert.
3. Open the message.
4. Look for the print icon in the top-right corner. Click on it, and you’ll see a popup menu.
5. Choose Save as PDF and choose the folder on your desktop to save it to. Confirm the file’s name and ensure that the Save as Type is set to PDF.
6. Click Save, and the email will be saved in the destination folder you selected.
How To Save an Email As a PDF On Yahoo Mail
Again, the procedure does not differ much from that for Gmail.
1. Launch Yahoo Mail and sign into your email account.
2. Open the email you want to save as a PDF.
3. Click on the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner, and a dropdown menu will appear.
4. Click Print on the dropdown menu, and a new window will open.
5. Choose Save as PDF under Destination.
6. Click Save.
How to Save an Email As a PDF on iPhone or iPad
iPhones or iPads use the Apple Mail app by default. Follow these steps to save an email as a PDF:
1. Launch the Apple Mail app.
2. Locate the email you want to save as a PDF and open it.
3. Tap the More Actions button at the bottom menu (the arrow pointing leftwards), and a new menu will appear.
4. Scroll down and tap Print.
5. Click the Share button (the arrow pointing up) at the top menu.
6. Tap Save to Files and choose the location on your device to save it.
7. Click Save.
How to Save an Email As a PDF on Mac
MacOS desktops also use Apple Mail as the default email app. Follow these steps:
1. Launch the Apple Mail app.
2. Select the email you want to save as a PDF.
3. Choose File > Export as PDF.
4. Choose the location to save the email on your Mac PC and click Save.
Conclusion
Saving emails as PDF files offers many benefits. It simplifies access to your emails and lets you keep confidential information offline instead of online, reducing the risks of theft and leaks.
The good news is that it’s easy to save your email as a PDF file regardless of which email client you use. We have explained how to save an email as a PDF in the most popular email clients. Follow our steps, and you can enjoy the benefits of keeping emails as PDFs as much as you want.
