How To Save an Outlook Email as a PDF

If you need to keep an important Outlook email, turning it into a PDF is one of the simplest ways to store or share it. A PDF keeps the original layout, makes archiving easier, and works on any device.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to save single messages, export several emails at once, include attachments, and fix common issues like missing PDF options. You’ll also see how to tidy up your saved files with tools for merging, editing, and organizing your PDFs.

The exact steps vary slightly depending on which version of Outlook you’re using, so we’ll break down the platform-specific details below.

The exact steps vary slightly depending on which version of Outlook you’re using. Here’s how to do it on each platform.

Outlook for Windows (Microsoft Print to PDF)

1. Open your Outlook inbox and locate the email.

2. Double-click the email to open it in a new window.

3. Go to “File” > “Print” or press Ctrl + P.

4. In the print dialog, select “Microsoft Print to PDF” from the printer dropdown.

5. Click “Print,” choose your save location and filename, then click “Save.”

Outlook on the Web

1. Open your Outlook inbox and locate the email.

2. Click the three horizontal dots to the right for “More actions.” 

3. Click “Print” and on the next dialog box, click “Print” again.

4. In the pop-up, under “Destination,” choose “Save as PDF.”

5. Click “Save” to save the email as a PDF to your device.

The process to save an email from Outlook to a PDF document should be the same regardless of your browser. Instead of printing out a physical version of the email, your device will conveniently save the email as a PDF document for you to view anytime.

To note: there are two “More actions” icons on the screen. The one on top will print and save the entire Outlook inbox to the PDF file format. The second one, as illustrated, is for an individual email.

Outlook for Mac (PDF in macOS Print Dialog)

1. Open the email you want to save.

2. Press Cmd + P or go to “File” then “Print.”

3. In the print dialog, click the PDF dropdown in the bottom-left corner.

4. Select “Save as PDF.”

5. Choose your save location and filename, then click “Save.”

Need to save several emails at once or include attachments? Here’s how to handle bulk exports and keep everything organized.

Save Multiple Emails to PDF

1. In Outlook, hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and click each email you want to save.

2. Right-click and select “Print.”

3. Choose “Microsoft Print to PDF” as your printer.

4. Each email will be saved as a separate PDF file.

To combine multiple PDFs into one document, you can use our Merge PDF tool after saving.

Include Attachments (and Combine Everything)

1. Open the email with attachments.

2. Save any attachments to your computer first.

3. Follow the steps above to save the email as PDF.

Use our Merge PDF tool to combine the email PDF with attachment PDFs into one file. Upload your file in the area below to merge

Running into issues? Here are solutions to the most common problems when saving Outlook emails as PDFs.

“Save as PDF” Not Showing in Outlook

If you don’t see the PDF option in your printer list:

• Make sure you’re using Windows 10 or later (Microsoft Print to PDF is built-in).

• If you’re running an older Windows version, install a PDF printer.

• Restart Outlook and try again.

Set Microsoft Print to PDF as Default (Windows)

1. Go to “Settings,” “Devices,” then “Printers & scanners.”

2. Find “Microsoft Print to PDF” in the list.

3. Click it and select “Set as default.”

Save the Full Email (Headers, Images, Thread)

To ensure you capture everything:

• Open the email in a new window before printing.

• Check print preview to see what will be included.

• For email threads, each message may need to be saved separately.