The simplest way to save an email as a PDF

Most email programs let you print an email directly to a PDF file instead of to paper. This works on Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and most others. The process is nearly identical across all of them: open the email, choose Print, then select "Save as PDF" or "Print to PDF" from the printer dropdown.

On a phone or tablet, the steps are slightly different because mobile email apps don't always have a Print option. Instead, you may need to forward the email to yourself, open it on a computer, and convert it there — or use your phone's built-in screenshot and PDF tools. We'll walk through both the desktop and mobile routes below.

Converting to PDF is useful when you need to preserve an email exactly as it appears, share it without letting someone edit it, or keep a permanent record that won't change if the sender deletes the original message.

Key Takeaways

  • On Windows or Mac, open the email and press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Command+P (Mac), then choose "Save as PDF" from the printer menu.
  • Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all support printing to PDF using the same basic steps, though the exact menu names vary slightly.
  • On iPhone or Android, you can take a screenshot and convert it to PDF, or forward the email to yourself and convert it on a computer.
  • The PDF will include the email body, sender, date, and subject line, but not attachments unless you save those separately.
  • Once saved, the PDF cannot be edited by the recipient, which protects the email's content from accidental or intentional changes.

Converting an email to PDF on Windows

Open the email you want to save. Click anywhere inside the email body to make sure it's active, then press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog.

In the Print dialog, look for the "Printer" dropdown at the top. Click it and select "Microsoft Print to PDF" (or "Print to PDF" — the exact name depends on your Windows version). Once you've selected it, click the "Print" button.

Windows will then ask you where to save the file and what to name it. Choose a folder you'll remember, give the file a clear name like "Email from John - Invoice 2024", and click "Save". The PDF will appear in that folder within a few seconds.

Converting an email to PDF on Mac

Open the email and press Command+P to open the Print dialog. At the bottom left of the dialog, you'll see a blue button labeled "PDF". Click it to see a dropdown menu.

From the dropdown, select "Save as PDF". A save dialog will appear. Name your file, choose where to save it, and click "Save". The PDF will be ready to use when ready.

If you don't see the PDF button, your Mac may be set to an older print layout. Look for a dropdown that says "Printer" instead, click it, and look for an option called "Save as PDF" or "PDF" in that menu.

Converting an email to PDF in Gmail

Open the email in Gmail. Look for the three-dot menu icon (⋮) in the top right corner of the email and click it. Select "Print" from the menu.

Your browser's print dialog will open. In the "Destination" dropdown at the top left, select "Save as PDF". You can adjust the margins and scaling if you want the email to fit differently on the page. Click "Save" and choose where to store the file.

Gmail will include the sender's name, email address, date, subject line, and the full email body in the PDF. If the email has attachments, they won't be included in the PDF — you'll need to read and save those separately if you need them.

Converting an email to PDF in Outlook

Open the email and press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Command+P (Mac). The Print dialog will open. In the "Printer" dropdown, select "Microsoft Print to PDF" (Windows) or "Save as PDF" (Mac).

Outlook will show you a preview of how the email will look. You can adjust the margins and paper size if needed. Click "Print" and choose a location to save the file. Outlook includes the sender, date, subject, and body text, but not attachments.

If you're using Outlook on the web (Outlook.com), the process is the same as Gmail: click the three-dot menu, select Print, and choose Save as PDF from your browser's print dialog.

Converting an email to PDF on iPhone or Android

Mobile email apps don't always have a Print option, so the easiest route is to take a screenshot and convert it to PDF. Open the email and take a screenshot (press the Side button and Volume Up on iPhone, or press Power and Volume Down on Android). The screenshot will appear as a thumbnail at the bottom of your screen.

Tap the thumbnail to open it. On iPhone, tap "Markup" at the bottom, then tap the three dots and select "Save to Files". Choose a folder and tap "Save". On Android, open the screenshot in your Photos app, tap the three-dot menu, and look for an option to save as PDF or convert to PDF — this varies by phone model.

If your phone doesn't have a built-in PDF converter, an alternative is to forward the email to yourself, open it on a computer, and convert it there using the Windows or Mac steps above. This also captures the full email without cutting off any text that might not fit in a single screenshot.

What gets included in the PDF and what doesn't

When you convert an email to PDF, the file will contain the sender's name and email address, the date and time the email was sent, the subject line, and the complete email body. Formatting like bold text, links, and colors will be preserved.

Attachments are not included in the PDF. If the email has a Word document, image, or spreadsheet attached, you'll need to read and save those separately. Some email programs let you print the email with attachments by choosing a different print setting, but this is not standard.

If the email contains images embedded in the body (not as attachments), those will appear in the PDF. Signatures and reply chains will also be included if they're visible when you print.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I convert an email with attachments to PDF?

The email itself will convert to PDF, but the attachments won't be included in that file. You'll need to read the attachments separately and save them as individual files. Some email programs have an option to print all attachments along with the email, but this is not available in most standard email clients.

Will the PDF look the same as the email on screen?

Usually yes, but formatting may shift slightly depending on your printer settings and the email's original design. Links will appear as text in the PDF but won't be clickable. If the email is very long, it may span multiple pages. You can adjust margins and scaling in the Print dialog to control how it looks.

Can someone edit a PDF I created from an email?

Not without special software. A standard PDF created from an email is read-only, which means the recipient can view and print it but cannot change the text or content. This makes PDFs useful for sharing records that need to stay unchanged.

What if the email doesn't print correctly to PDF?

Try opening the email in a different email program or your web browser, then print from there. Some email clients format emails differently, and switching programs sometimes fixes printing issues. You can also try adjusting the margins, scaling, or paper size in the Print dialog before saving.

Is there a way to convert multiple emails to PDF at once?

Most email programs require you to convert emails one at a time. If you need to save many emails, you can speed up the process by opening each one in a new tab or window, then printing them all to PDF in sequence. Some third-party tools claim to batch-convert emails, but these are not built into standard email programs.