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How to Convert an Email to PDF for Free: Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail

· 5 min read

Quick summary: To convert an email to PDF for free, open the email and use your browser’s or app’s built-in print function: Print → choose “Save as PDF” (Chrome, Edge) or the PDF option in the print dialog (Mac, Windows). This works in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and any webmail without installing extra software.

Saving an email as a PDF creates a permanent, shareable record — useful for archiving receipts, confirmations, or important correspondence. Every method below uses tools you already have. You can also upload the resulting PDF to our free AI PDF reader to summarize a long thread or search it instantly.

How to convert a Gmail email to PDF

In a browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari)

  1. Open the email in Gmail.
  2. Click the three-dot menu (More) at the top right of the email → “Print”.
  3. In the print preview, change the destination to “Save as PDF” (Chrome/Edge) or click the PDF dropdown (Mac).
  4. Click Save and choose a location.

Alternative: Click the printer icon directly in the email toolbar (next to reply/forward) — it opens the same print preview.

Gmail mobile app (iPhone/Android)

  1. Open the email in the Gmail app.
  2. Tap the three-dot menu → “Print”.
  3. On iPhone: in the print preview, pinch outward on the page to create a PDF → Share → “Save to Files”.
  4. On Android: tap the dropdown at the top → “Save as PDF” → Save.

How to convert an Outlook email to PDF

Outlook desktop (Windows)

  1. Open the email in Outlook.
  2. Go to File → Print, or press Ctrl+P.
  3. Under Printer, select “Microsoft Print to PDF”.
  4. Click Print, choose a location, and save.

Outlook.com (web)

  1. Open the email in a browser at outlook.com.
  2. Click the three-dot menu → “Print”.
  3. In the print dialog, set the destination to “Save as PDF”.
  4. Click Save.

Outlook desktop (Mac)

  1. Open the email → File → Print (Cmd+P).
  2. Click the PDF dropdown at the bottom left of the print dialog.
  3. Select “Save as PDF”.

How to convert an Apple Mail email to PDF

  1. Open the email in Mail on Mac.
  2. Go to File → Print (Cmd+P).
  3. Click the PDF dropdown at the bottom left of the print sheet.
  4. Choose “Save as PDF”, name the file, and click Save.

On iPhone

  1. Open the email in Mail.
  2. Tap the reply arrow icon → “Print”.
  3. In the print preview, pinch outward on the thumbnail to open it as a PDF.
  4. Tap Share → “Save to Files”.

How to include attachments when converting an email to PDF

The print-to-PDF methods above capture the email body and headers but not file attachments — those remain separate files. To combine them into one PDF:

  1. Save the email as PDF (any method above).
  2. Save each attachment separately (right-click → Save, or tap → Save to Files).
  3. If attachments are also PDFs, merge them with the email PDF using Preview on Mac (drag page thumbnails between two open PDF windows) — see how to copy a PDF for free for the drag-and-drop merge steps.
  4. If an attachment is an image, add it as a page in Preview: Edit → Insert → Page from File.

How to convert an entire email thread to PDF

Printing a Gmail or Outlook conversation by default only captures the currently open message. To save the whole thread:

Gmail: Click “Expand all” (the double-arrow icon) at the top of the conversation before printing — this expands every message in the thread so the print/PDF output includes all of them.

Outlook: Open each message in the conversation individually, or use “View → Conversation Settings” to show all messages inline before printing.

How to convert an email to PDF without opening a browser (Windows)

  1. In Outlook desktop, select the email (no need to open it fully).
  2. Go to File → Save As.
  3. Change the Save as type dropdown to PDF Files (*.pdf) — this is available in Outlook 2016 and later with the PDF export add-in built in, or via File → Export → Export to a File if Save As doesn’t list PDF directly.

If PDF is not listed under Save As, use the Print to PDF method described above instead — it works in every Outlook version.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why does the printed PDF cut off part of the email?

Long emails with wide tables or embedded images can exceed the page width. In the print dialog, switch orientation to Landscape, or reduce the scale (e.g., 90%) before saving as PDF.

Can I convert multiple emails to PDF at once?

Not directly through print dialogs, which handle one email at a time. For bulk export, use your email client’s built-in export/archive feature (Outlook’s “Export to a File” for a whole folder as a .pst, then convert individually) or a browser extension designed for batch email export.

Does converting an email to PDF include the sender’s photo and formatting?

Yes — the print-to-PDF method captures the email exactly as rendered on screen, including images, formatting, signatures, and inline photos, but not the sender’s separate contact photo shown in the inbox list.

How do I convert a PDF back to an editable email or text?

Open the PDF and copy the text directly — see how to copy text from a PDF for free — then paste it into a new email or document.

Is there a way to convert an email to PDF automatically for record-keeping?

Some email clients support rules or add-ins that auto-save incoming messages as PDF, but this varies by provider and often requires a paid add-in. For occasional archiving, the manual print-to-PDF method above takes only a few seconds per email.

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