How do I print a single email from a Gmail thread?

Open the thread, expand the specific email you want, click the three-dot menu on that email, and select 'Print'. Gmail will print just that message. With Pretty PDF, you can also use Selection Mode to highlight just the email you want.

Why are images missing when I print Gmail emails?

Gmail blocks external images by default. Before printing, click 'Display images below' if prompted. Gmail's print view may still skip some images. Pretty PDF resolves image URLs during capture.

Can I export multiple Gmail emails as PDFs?

Gmail has no built-in batch export. Google Takeout can export your entire mailbox as MBOX files, but not individual PDFs. Pretty PDF's API (Pro+) can automate individual email-to-PDF conversion if you open each email.

Does it work with Google Workspace emails?

Yes. Pretty PDF works with Gmail personal accounts and Google Workspace (business) accounts identically. The extension captures whatever is visible in your browser tab.

Gmail to PDF

How to save a Gmail email as PDF — step by step (+ easier way)

Gmail is the world's most popular email client, but it has no dedicated PDF export button. Here is how to save Gmail emails as PDFs using the built-in print feature — and a faster method that produces cleaner results without the sidebar and interface clutter.

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Step by step

How to save a Gmail email as PDF

Two methods using Gmail's built-in features.

Method 1: Three-dot menu > Print (recommended)

This method uses Gmail's built-in print feature, which opens a cleaner print view than using Ctrl+P directly.

Open the email you want to save in Gmail in your browser.
If the email is in a thread, expand the specific message you want by clicking on it. By default, Gmail collapses older messages in a thread — make sure the one you want is expanded and visible.
Click the three-dot menu (More) in the top-right corner of the specific email message — not the thread header, but the individual message.
Select "Print" from the dropdown. Gmail opens a print-preview window showing just the email content, with much of the interface chrome removed.
In the print dialog, change the Destination to "Save as PDF".
Expand "More settings" and uncheck "Headers and footers" to remove the URL and date stamp that Chrome adds to every page.
Click Save and choose a filename and location.

Method 2: Ctrl+P (keyboard shortcut)

The faster method, but with slightly worse results.

Open the email in Gmail.
Press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on Mac).
Set Destination to "Save as PDF" and click Save.

The difference: Ctrl+P prints the current browser view, which includes more of Gmail's interface — the sidebar category tabs (Primary, Social, Promotions), the Google account bar, and potentially the left navigation panel. The three-dot menu method opens a dedicated print view that strips more of the interface before printing.

Gmail on mobile

On the Gmail mobile app (iOS and Android):

Open the email in the Gmail app.
Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
Select "Print". On iOS, pinch to zoom on the print preview to get a "Save as PDF" share option. On Android, select "Save as PDF" as the printer.

Limitations

Common issues when saving Gmail emails as PDF

Gmail's print feature works, but the results are not always clean.

Interface clutter in the output

Even with the three-dot menu print method, Gmail's print view still includes the Google account bar, some navigation elements, and promotional sidebar content. The Ctrl+P method is worse, capturing the full inbox interface.

Threaded conversations print everything

When you print from a thread view using Ctrl+P, Gmail prints every message in the thread — not just the one you are looking at. For long email threads, this can produce a PDF with dozens of pages of conversation you did not want.

HTML formatting stripped

Gmail's print view strips some HTML formatting from rich emails. Newsletters, marketing emails, and designed email templates often lose their column layouts, background colors, and custom styling when printed.

Images often fail to load

Gmail blocks external images by default to protect your privacy. If you have not clicked "Display images below" for the sender, images will not appear in the print view. Even after allowing images, Gmail's print view sometimes skips them.

No batch export

There is no way to export multiple Gmail emails as individual PDFs. You can use Google Takeout to download your entire mailbox as MBOX files, but there is no built-in option to convert a search result or label into a folder of PDF files.

The easier way

Save Gmail emails as clean PDFs with Pretty PDF

No sidebar. No ads. No interface clutter. Just the email.

Open the Gmail email in your browser

Navigate to the email you want to save in Gmail. No need to use the three-dot menu or open a special print view.

Click the Pretty PDF extension icon

The extension automatically extracts just the email content — stripping the Gmail sidebar, promotions, Google account bar, and all interface elements.

Choose a template and generate

Pick from five professional templates and click Generate PDF. Your Gmail email is a polished, clean document in seconds.

Gmail Print vs Pretty PDF

Feature	Gmail Print	Pretty PDF
Steps required	4-6 steps	3 clicks
Sidebar/nav removal	Partially removed	Fully removed
Thread handling	Prints entire thread	Captures current view
Templates	None	5 professional templates
Image handling	Sometimes broken	Resolved and embedded

Frequently asked questions

Open the thread, expand the specific email you want by clicking on it, click the three-dot menu on that individual message (not the thread header), and select "Print." Gmail will open a print view of just that message. With Pretty PDF, you can also use Selection Mode to highlight just the part of the conversation you want.

Gmail blocks external images by default to protect your privacy. Before printing, make sure you have clicked "Display images below" or set the sender to always show images (Settings > See all settings > General > Images). Even after allowing images, Gmail's print view occasionally skips them. Pretty PDF resolves image URLs during page capture, so images are more reliably included.

Gmail has no built-in batch PDF export. Google Takeout can export your entire mailbox as MBOX files (a mailbox archive format), but not as individual PDFs. For bulk email-to-PDF conversion, Pretty PDF's API (available on Pro+ plans at $12/month) lets you automate the process programmatically.

Yes. Pretty PDF works identically with personal Gmail accounts and Google Workspace (business) accounts. The extension captures whatever email content is visible in your browser tab — it does not need any special permissions or API access to your Google account.