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How to Export Outlook Emails and Save Them as PDF

Learn how to export Outlook emails to PDF: save MSG files or export MBOX from Thunderbird, then merge them into one sorted volume for folders and large sets.

You may need your Outlook mail as a PDF. You may need it for a case. You may need it for a tax check. You may need it when you leave a job. You may just want a safe copy.

This guide shows the full path. It starts inside Outlook. It ends with one clear PDF file. That file has a cover page. It also has a list of all emails. You can read it on any device.

First, here is a plain fact. MBoxToPDF does not open PST or OST files. Those are Outlook mailbox store files. No tool on this site reads them direct. You must first get mail out of Outlook. You can save it as MSG or EML files. You can also move it to MBOX form. This guide shows both ways, step by step.

What PST and OST files are

Outlook keeps mail in its own store files. A PST file is a personal store file. It holds mail you save on your own PC. An OST file is an offline store file. It is a copy of mail from a server. A server is a remote PC that holds mail.

Both files pack a whole account into one file. They hold mail, folders, and other items. They are made for Outlook to use. They are not made for easy reading elsewhere.

That is why export takes one extra step. You pull the mail out in a simple form. Then a converter can read that form. MSG is the form for a single Outlook mail. EML is a plain form for a single mail. MBOX is a form for a whole folder.

Why you cannot hand over a PST file

A PST file needs Outlook to open well. Many other tools read it in part only. Some miss folders or attached files. Some need you to install extra software. Some need a password you may not have.

An export lets you pick what to share. You choose one folder or one date range. You choose the mail that fits the task. The rest stays private in Outlook.

Records guidance makes the same point. The National Archives treats email as a record. It treats attachments as part of that record. Related items can count as records too. So your export should keep mail and files together. A loose export that drops files is not enough.

Route A: Save messages as MSG files

This route works best for a small set. It fits one folder or a few hundred mails. You work right inside Outlook. You do not need any other mail app.

An MSG file holds one email in full. It holds the text and the header. A header is the top part of an email. It shows who sent it and when. It also holds any attached files.

Follow these steps in order.

1. Open Outlook and find the folder you need.
2. Sort the folder by date if you can.
3. Select the emails you want to save.
4. Drag them to a new folder on your PC.
5. Check that each file ends in .msg.
6. Open two or three files to test them.

Count the files before you move on. The count should match your pick in Outlook. If the count is short, drag the missed mail. If a name looks odd, open that file. Fix problems now, not after you convert.

Route B: Export folders as MBOX with Thunderbird

This route works best for whole folders. It fits large sets and long date ranges. You use Thunderbird, a free mail app. Thunderbird can read an Outlook account. It can then export a folder as MBOX.

MBOX is a file that holds many emails. All the mail sits in one long file. Most mail apps can write or read it. That makes it a good bridge form.

Follow these steps in order.

1. Install Thunderbird on your PC.
2. Add your mail account to Thunderbird.
3. Wait for all folders to load in full.
4. Check that old mail shows up, not just new mail.
5. Add the ImportExportTools NG add-on.
6. Right-click a folder and export it as MBOX.
7. Save the MBOX file with a clear name.
8. Repeat the export for each folder you need.

An add-on is a small tool you add. It gives the app a new task.

Wait for the account to sync in full. Sync means the app copies mail down. If you export too soon, mail will be missing. Open the oldest folder and check the dates. The first date should match Outlook.

Route C: Print to PDF one by one

Outlook can print one email to PDF. Your PC has a print to PDF choice. You open a mail, choose print, and save. The result is one PDF for one email.

It fails when the set grows large. Each file gets the name you type. Files end up out of date order. There is no cover page for the set. There is no contents list for the set.

Attachments are the biggest loss here. Print saves the mail text you see. It does not add attached files as pages. It does not embed the files in the PDF. So a contract or photo can drift away.

Metadata is lost or hard to see too. Metadata is data about the email. It holds the date, sender, and subject. It also holds the message ID. A message ID is a code for one email. Printed pages may cut this data short.

Use this route only for tiny jobs. Use it when order does not matter. Use it when there are no attachments. For real sets, use route A or B.

The three routes side by side

The best route depends on your set size. It also depends on what you must keep. Use this table to pick with care.

Route A is best for a picked set. Route B is best for whole folders. Route C is best for one quick copy. All three routes start in Outlook. Only the first two feed a merged volume.

Merge the export into one PDF volume

Now you have MSG, EML, or MBOX files. The next step is to turn the export into one PDF. MBoxToPDF takes several files at once. It makes one merged PDF volume from them. A volume is one file that holds all mail.

The volume starts with a cover page. Next comes a table of contents. A table of contents lists each email. It gives the start page for each one. Then the emails follow in a clear order.

You can sort by date, oldest first. You can also group mail by thread. A thread is a chain of replies. Grouping keeps a full talk in one place. Pick the order that fits your reader.

Each email starts with a header block. The block shows From, To, and Cc. Cc means a copy sent to others. It also shows Date and Subject. It shows the Message-ID as well. Every page shows Page x of y. That makes long files easy to cite.

Follow these steps to convert.

1. Put all export files in one clean folder.
2. Check the count and open a test file.
3. Upload the files to MBoxToPDF.
4. Pick date order or thread order.
5. Start the conversion and wait for it to end.
6. Download the merged PDF volume.
7. Open the volume and check the contents list.
8. Spot-check the first, middle, and last emails.

If you used route A, you may want more detail. Read how to convert the MSG files to PDF next. That guide covers MSG files in depth. It covers large MSG sets as well.

How attachments are handled

Attachments often hold the real proof. A bill, a photo, or a signed form matters. Official guidance keeps them with the mail. So check this part with extra care.

PDF attachments become pages in the volume. Image attachments become pages too. Plain text attachments become pages too. They sit right after their email. So the reader sees them in context.

Every attachment is also embedded in the PDF. Embedded means the file sits inside the PDF. The reader can save the file out again. It stays in its first, true form.

Word files are not turned into pages. Excel and PowerPoint files are not either. They are listed in the volume. They are embedded as files. They also come in the ZIP file. A ZIP is a packed file that holds files.

One rule covers very large attachments. A single file over 25 MB is not embedded. It is still in the ZIP file. It is also noted in the CSV index. CSV is a simple table file. The next part explains that index.

The CSV index and the ZIP file

Starter and Pro plans add two extras. One is a metadata CSV index. The other is a ZIP of single PDFs. Both help you check and use the set.

The CSV index has one row per email. Each row lists the date and sender. It lists To, Cc, and Subject too. It lists attachment names for that email. It lists the message ID and thread ID. A thread ID is a code for a thread.

The ZIP holds one PDF per email. Use it when you need one mail alone. Use the merged volume for reading in order. Keep both files in the same folder. Name the folder with the case or project name.

Bad files are flagged, not dropped in silence. An encrypted mail is locked with a code. A corrupt mail is a damaged mail file. The CSV flags such mails for you. Only a good conversion counts toward your plan. A failed try does not use your allowance.

Plans, size limits, and privacy

Check plans and file-size limits before a large job. The Free plan gives 3 conversions a month. Files can be up to 25 MB. Each conversion can hold 100 emails. Free gives the merged PDF only.

Starter costs 15 dollars a month. It gives 30 conversions a month. Files can be up to 200 MB. Each conversion can hold 2,000 emails. Starter adds the CSV index and ZIP.

Pro costs 29 dollars a month. It gives 100 conversions a month. Files can be up to 1 GB. Each conversion can hold 10,000 emails. Pro adds filters and Bates numbering.

A Bates number is a stamp on each page. It is used a lot in legal work. You set a prefix and a start number. The stamp runs across the whole volume. It covers the cover and contents pages too. The CSV lists first and last Bates numbers. That range is listed for each email.

Pro can also filter before export. You can filter by date range. You can filter by keyword too. A keyword is matched to subject and sender. It is also matched to the body text. Filters help when a folder is too broad.

Your files travel over HTTPS. HTTPS means the trip is locked and safe. Files are processed on the server. They are deleted 24 hours after conversion. The service does not read mail for other ends. It does not sell data or train models. Download your files at once to be safe.

Check the volume before you share it

Do not share the volume at once. Check it first with a short list. A five minute check can save hours.

• Count the emails in the contents list.
• Compare that count with your export count.
• Open the first and last email in full.
• Check one email with an attachment.
• Save the attached file out of the PDF.
• Search the PDF for a known subject.
• Check that dates run in the right order.
• Check the CSV row for one known email.

If you keep mail for years, think long term. You can archive the result as PDF for storage. That guide explains why PDF lasts well. Keep the source export files too. They are your most true copy of the mail.

Common problems and simple fixes

Some exports miss old mail. This often means sync was not done. Wait for the account to load in full. Then export the folder one more time.

Some MSG files have the same name. Outlook names files by subject line. Two mails can share one subject. Save each group in its own sub folder. The converter reads all files you upload. Same names in one folder can cause mix-ups on your PC.

Some mails show a lock or an error. Those mails may be encrypted or corrupt. The CSV index will flag them for you. Go back to Outlook for those mails. Try to save or forward them once more.

A short path to a clean result

Export Outlook emails to PDF in two stages. First, get mail out of the PST store. Save it as MSG files for small sets. Export MBOX from Thunderbird for whole folders. Avoid print to PDF for large sets.

Second, merge the export into one volume. Add a cover page and contents list. Keep attachments with their emails. Keep a CSV index with the volume. Then check the count before you share it. That path gives you a file anyone can read.

References

• National Archives — GRS 6.1 FAQ: Temporary Email and Other Electronic Messages