How Do I Print an Email as a PDF in Thunderbird?

Summary - This will take you through the easy step-by-step procedure of printing an email as a PDF in Thunderbird. This will ensure that you have saved those important emails in an easily portable and accessible format. Included are the built-in Thunderbird functions for PDF conversion, as well as a streamlined alternative method for bulk email exports to PDF.

Saving any email as a PDF will permit content saving and ease the processes of sharing the same; this therefore becomes part of communication with colleagues and friends. E-mailing on Mozilla Thunderbird relies heavily on functionality related to the printing of e-mail messages as PDF files, though it depends on users' needs.

This article outlines the manual steps taken when printing emails in Thunderbird as PDFs, their limitations and desired practices to be implemented when dealing with large emails and converting them into PDF files.

Why Print Emails as PDFs?

Saving emails as PDFs is useful for:

1. Secure Content: Preserving important communication with an unalterable file format.
2. Offline Access: Access emails without an internet connection.
3. Easy to share: Share vital messages in a universally compatible format.
4. Record Keeping: Keep an electronic file of correspondence for reference and legal or professional use.

Given below are the manual ways to Export Thunderbird Emails to PDF Format with Attachments.

How to Print Emails From Thunderbird to PDF?

1. Built-in Printing Functionality

You can print a message as a PDF file using the inbuilt print function.

Steps:

1. Open Thunderbird and then open the email to be printed.
2. Double-click on the email
3. Either on Windows, use Ctrl + P; on Mac, use Cmd + P to open the print window.
4. In the print dialog, select Microsoft Print to PDF (or whatever it might be labeled on Mac).
5. Print and then elect to save your PDF file.

Limitation: This is good for saving a few emails; otherwise, it gets too tedious when there are loads of them.

2. Copy Email Content and Save as PDF

The method can also be used to copy email content and save it as a PDF in a customized format

Steps:

1. Open the email that you like to save in Thunderbird.
2. Select and copy (Ctrl + C / Cmd + C) the text email
3. Paste what has been copied into any editor for word documents like Word/Google Docs.
4. Save the file using Export as PDF via the menu item Save As/Export

Limitation: Attachments aren't attached and formatting gets lost.

3. Export Emails Through Add-Ons

ImportExportTools NG on Thunderbird can import additional tools to expand your exporting options

1. Download and install the ImportExportTools NG add-on from the library of Thunderbird add-ons.
2. Restart Thunderbird to activate the add-on.
3. Right-click on the email or folder you wish to export.
4. Export to PDF and provide a location to save the file.

NOTE: The time required for this procedure is more efficient, though the add-on might ask for updates or to make some configuration.

Problems with Manual Procedures

• Economically Inefficient: Exporting emails individually or in bulk takes a long time.
• Attachments and Metadata: Certain methods don't allow attachments and metadata
• Technical Incompatibility Issues: Non-technical users face trouble in installing and configuring add-ons

Professional Way to Mass PDF in Bulk

If you are dealing with bulk emails and want to handle them smoothly, then try a professional tool like Corbett MBOX toPDF Converter. This software will help you export the files from Thunderbird into PDF format along with attachments, metadata, and folder structure. By this approach, end users may convert in bulk very fast and safely without knowing a thing about the technicalities.

Conclusion

Printing emails as PDFs in Thunderbird is kind of easy for single emails by print dialog or import-export tools NG Addon. However, with manual approaches, people get tired when dealing with even bulk emails or maintaining tough email details. It would only be achievable without worrying about effortless experiences with professional tools for email-to-PDF conversion.