Email Productivity
How to Save an Email as a PDF (Gmail, Outlook & iPhone) (2026)
To save an email as a PDF, use your email client's print function and set the destination to "Save as PDF." This works the same way in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and on mobile — there's rarely a dedicated "Download as PDF" button, so print-to-PDF is the universal method.
Below are exact steps for each platform, plus how to handle the two things print-to-PDF can't do: include attachments, and save many emails at once.
Quick answer
- Open the email.
- Choose Print (or press Ctrl/Cmd + P).
- Set the destination/printer to Save as PDF.
- Click Save and choose where to store it.
Table of Contents
Save a Gmail Email as PDF
- Open the email in Gmail on your computer.
- Click the printer icon at the top-right of the message (or press Ctrl/Cmd + P).
- In the print dialog, set Destination to Save as PDF.
- Click Save.
To save an entire conversation, use the thread's three-dot menu → Print all instead. For the full walkthrough (including merging and bulk options), see How to Save a Gmail Email as PDF.
Save an Outlook Email as PDF
New Outlook & Outlook on the web
- Open the email and click the three-dot (...) menu at the top-right of the message.
- Choose Print. A preview opens.
- Set the printer to Save as PDF (or Microsoft Print to PDF) and click Save.
Classic desktop Outlook
- Open the email, then go to File → Print.
- Under Printer, select Microsoft Print to PDF.
- Click Print and choose where to save the file.
Note: As with Gmail, Outlook's print-to-PDF captures the message body only — attachments aren't embedded.
Save an Email as PDF on iPhone
- Open the email in the Mail or Gmail app.
- Tap the reply/more arrow (Mail) or three-dot menu (Gmail) and choose Print.
- On the print preview, pinch outward (zoom in) on the page thumbnail to open it as a full-page PDF.
- Tap the Share icon and choose Save to Files (or save to Books).
There's no one-tap PDF button on iOS — the pinch-to-zoom trick is the standard workaround, and it works the same in both apps.
Save Many Emails as PDF at Once
Every method above handles one email at a time. The moment you need to archive dozens — a client's correspondence, a tax year of invoices, a whole label — print-to-PDF becomes a slog, and it never includes attachments.
For Gmail specifically, a bulk export tool like ThreadPDF solves both problems. Select any number of threads, export them as separate PDFs or one merged PDF with a table of contents, and keep the original attachments bundled — all processed on your device, with nothing uploaded to a server.
Saving more than a couple of emails? Install ThreadPDF for Gmail → Bulk-export to PDF in one click. Free for up to 5 thread exports a day.
Or from the store: Install from the Chrome Web Store →
For the full bulk playbook (including Google Takeout and Gmail search operators), see How to Bulk Export Your Gmail as PDF, or how to combine multiple emails into one PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I save an email as a PDF?
In almost every email client, you save an email as a PDF through the print function: open the email, choose Print, and set the destination (or printer) to "Save as PDF." This works in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and on mobile. There's rarely a dedicated "Download as PDF" button — print-to-PDF is the universal method.
How do I save an Outlook email as a PDF?
In new Outlook and Outlook on the web, open the email, click the three-dot (...) menu, choose Print, then select "Save as PDF" (or "Microsoft Print to PDF") as the printer and save. In classic desktop Outlook you can also use File → Print → Microsoft Print to PDF. The email body is captured; attachments are not included.
How do I save an email as a PDF on my iPhone?
Open the email, tap the reply/more arrow (or three-dot menu) and choose Print. On the print preview, pinch outward (zoom in) on the page thumbnail to turn it into a full-page PDF, then tap the Share icon and choose "Save to Files." This works in both the Mail and Gmail apps on iOS.
Are attachments included when I save an email as a PDF?
No. Print-to-PDF captures the message body and formatting but does not embed file attachments. You have to download attachments separately — or use a bulk export tool like ThreadPDF that can bundle the original attachments alongside the exported emails.
How do I save many emails as PDF at once?
Print-to-PDF only handles one email at a time. To export many emails (or whole labels) to PDF in one action, use a bulk export tool. ThreadPDF lets you select multiple Gmail threads and export them as separate PDFs or one merged PDF with a table of contents, processed entirely on your device.
On Gmail and saving more than one email? Install ThreadPDF for Gmail → It's free for up to 5 thread exports a day.