How to Print an Email in Outlook (or Save It as a PDF)
Sometimes you need an email on paper — a booking confirmation, a receipt for the accountant, directions for the glovebox. And sometimes you need it as a PDF to keep or forward. Both take about three clicks.
Quick reference
| What you want | How |
|---|---|
| Open the email → Ctrl + P | |
| Save as PDF | Ctrl + P → printer: Microsoft Print to PDF |
| Print attachments too | Classic: Print Options → Print attached files |
| Print one page only | Set Pages in the print dialog |
1. Print an email
New Outlook and Outlook on the web:
1. Click the email to show it in the reading pane (or open it).
2. Click ⋯ (More actions) at the top right of the message and choose Print — or just press Ctrl + P.
3. A print preview opens. Choose your printer, the number of copies and which pages.
4. Click Print.
2. Click ⋯ (More actions) at the top right of the message and choose Print — or just press Ctrl + P.
3. A print preview opens. Choose your printer, the number of copies and which pages.
4. Click Print.
Classic Outlook:
1. Click the email.
2. Click File → Print or press Ctrl + P.
3. Choose the printer and click Print. Memo Style is the normal layout; Table Style prints the list of emails instead.
2. Click File → Print or press Ctrl + P.
3. Choose the printer and click Print. Memo Style is the normal layout; Table Style prints the list of emails instead.
2. Save an email as a PDF
You don't need Adobe or any other software — Windows has a PDF "printer" built in.
1. Press Ctrl + P.
2. In the printer list, choose Microsoft Print to PDF.
3. Click Print.
4. Choose where to save the file and give it a name.
2. In the printer list, choose Microsoft Print to PDF.
3. Click Print.
4. Choose where to save the file and give it a name.
The PDF looks exactly like the printed version, including the header with sender, date and subject. On a Mac, click PDF → Save as PDF at the bottom of the print dialog.
3. Print only part of an email
Long email threads can run to a dozen pages. In the print dialog, look at the preview, note which pages you need and type them in the Pages box — for example 1-2.
Another option: select just the text you need, copy it, paste it into Word and print from there.
4. Print attachments
Classic Outlook: in the print dialog, click Print Options and tick Print attached files. Each attachment opens in its own program and prints.
New Outlook: open the attachment (click it) and print it from there. Or save it to your computer first and print it normally.
5. Print without the header
The header lists your name, sender, date and subject. To print just the message body in classic Outlook, click File → Print → Print Options → Page Setup → Format and clear the header options. Or copy the text to Word.
Troubleshooting
The print preview is blank or cuts off the right side. Try Landscape orientation in the print dialog, or print from Outlook on the web in Edge, which handles wide emails better.
Pictures didn't print. If the email's pictures were blocked (you'll see "Click here to download pictures"), download them first, then print.
Printing a page from the list prints the wrong email. Make sure the email you want is selected, or open it in its own window before pressing Ctrl + P.
Wrapping up
Ctrl + P prints; pick Microsoft Print to PDF to save instead. For a long thread, set the page range and save a tree.
