How to Save an HTML Email as PDF (Gmail, Outlook & Apple Mail)

Saving emails as PDF is essential for legal records, expense reports, purchase confirmations, and archiving. Here’s how to do it in every major email client.

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Gmail (Browser)

1. Open the email
2. Click the ⋮ (More options) button (top right of the email)
3. Select Print
4. In the print dialog, choose Save as PDF as the destination
5. Click Save

Alternative: Click the printer icon (🖨️) in the top-right of the email header.

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Gmail (Mobile — Android & iOS)

1. Open the email in the Gmail app
2. Tap the ⋮ (three dots) menu
3. Select Print
4. Tap the dropdown arrow → Save as PDF
5. Tap the PDF icon to save

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Outlook (Desktop)

1. Open the email
2. Go to File → Print
3. Select Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer
4. Click Print and choose a save location

For Outlook on Mac: File → Print → PDF (bottom left) → Save as PDF

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Apple Mail (Mac)

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

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Saving Emails With Attachments Included

Standard print-to-PDF saves only the email body. To include attachments:

1. Save the email as PDF (body)
2. Open each attachment and save/print it as PDF separately
3. Use a PDF merge tool to combine them into one document

Or use an email backup tool like MailStore for bulk archiving.

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Handling Emails That Print Badly

HTML emails are notoriously tricky to print — they use inline styles, table layouts, and fixed widths designed for email clients, not browsers.

Tips:

• In Gmail, try switching to “Default” view (not “Conversation view”) before printing
• Use browser developer tools to hide problematic elements before printing
• Use the Print Friendly browser extension to clean up the layout
• Forward the email to yourself and open it in a browser-based email client for cleaner printing

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Bulk Email to PDF Archiving

For businesses that need to archive large volumes of emails as PDF:

• PDF24 — batch email conversion
• EML to PDF converters — convert .eml files
• Microsoft Power Automate — automated email archiving to SharePoint as PDF

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Quick Reference

Email Client	Method
Gmail (browser)	⋮ menu → Print → Save as PDF
Gmail (mobile)	⋮ menu → Print → Save as PDF
Outlook (Windows)	File → Print → Microsoft Print to PDF
Outlook (Mac)	File → Print → PDF → Save as PDF
Apple Mail	Cmd+P → PDF → Save as PDF
Yahoo Mail	Print icon → Save as PDF
Thunderbird	File → Print → PDF

Saving your important emails as PDF ensures they’re preserved exactly as received — formatting, images, and all — regardless of what happens to your email account.