How to Save Email as PDF: The Ultimate 2026 Mega-Guide

Gmail's "Print to PDF" functionality is robust but hidden behind a specific icon.

1. Open the specific email you want to convert. Do not just select it from the inbox list.
2. Find the "More" icon: Click the three vertical dots (⋮) located in the top-right corner of the email container. Warning: Do not click the browser's print button; this will print the entire interface including sidebars.
3. Select Print from the dropdown menu. A new window or tab will open with a clean view of the conversation.
4. In the print dialog destination, select "Save as PDF" (Chrome/Edge) or "Microsoft Print to PDF" (Windows).
5. Click Save and choose your local directory.

Microsoft's "New Outlook" (2024+) has changed the UI significantly. The old "File > Print" menu is gone.

1. Open the email in the reading pane.
2. Click the three horizontal dots (...) in the top-right corner of the message header (next to the Reply/Forward buttons).
3. Select Print. A preview page will appear.
4. Click the Print button at the top of this preview.
5. In the system dialog, set the Printer to "Microsoft Print to PDF".

For enterprise users on Classic Outlook (Office 365 / 2019 / 2016):

1. Select the email.
2. Go to File > Print.
3. Under Printer, choose Microsoft Print to PDF.
4. Click Print Options if you need to include attachments (Note: This physically prints attachments; it often fails to merge them into the PDF see our FAQ).

Apple Mail

1. Open the message.
2. Select File > Export as PDF... in the menu bar. This is a direct feature not found on Windows!
3. Choose your save location.

Outlook for Mac

1. Open the email.
2. Press Command + P.
3. Click the PDF dropdown button in the bottom-left corner of the print dialog.
4. Select Save as PDF.

iOS has a hidden gesture that turns any print preview into a PDF file.

1. Open the email in the Mail app.
2. Tap the Reply/Forward arrow.
3. Scroll down and tap Print.
4. The Secret Step: In the print preview screen, place two fingers on the page image and pinch outwards (like zooming in).
5. The preview will snap into full-screen mode. It is now a PDF.
6. Tap the Share icon (top right) and select Save to Files.

Android's native print spooler handles PDF conversion seamlessly.

1. Open the email in the Gmail app.
2. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner of the email body.
3. Tap Print.
4. At the top of the screen, tap the dropdown that says "Select a printer" and choose Save as PDF.
5. Tap the round PDF download icon to save it to your Downloads folder.

For users asking about "save email as pdf power automate": Yes, Microsoft Power Automate can automatically save incoming emails as PDFs to OneDrive.

However, this requires a Premium License and complex flow configuration ("When a new email arrives" → "Export to file" → "Create file"). For most individuals and small businesses, the manual methods described above are faster, free, and less prone to errors.