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How to Export Thunderbird Emails to PDF Files? Top Ways
Thunderbird exports emails to PDF and allows you to preserve visual formatting and hyperlinks in the same and accurate way. Multiple users need to print Thunderbird emails for multiple reasons such as portability without making any changes to it. As it can be a secure and best offline access, or a good way to present it as legal evidence. Learn the step=by-step process.
Note: If you export a Thunderbird message to PDF, it will not be possible to import the message or thread later on directly, as PDF is a document format, not an email format.
User Query:
“Hello, I am a Forensic Investigator. During some investigation, I found some evidence in Thunderbird. I want this proof in the document format and PDF is the best portable format. Moreover, courts also accept the documents in the PDF format. So, I need to export Thunderbird emails to PDF. Please suggest to me the best solution to convert Thunderbird to PDF” – David, US
“I’m running Thunderbird and want to convert my emails to PDF with all email components. What is the best way to do this?” – Bruno, UK
Common Reasons to Export Thunderbird Emails to PDF
In-Built Option to Print & Save Thunderbird Emails to PDF
Thunderbird allows you to print an email and save it as a PDF using your operating system’s built-in Print to PDF feature. It is best if you want to have a limited number of 10-15 emails. Here are the steps to follow:
- Open Mozilla Thunderbird on Mac or Windows.
- Right-click on the Thunderbird email you want to convert to PDF.
- Choose the Print option.
- From the destination, select “Save As PDF.”
- Press Save & confirm destination & name.
Free-Manual Method to Export Thunderbird Emails to PDF with Add-Ons
This is suitable for exporting multiple Thunderbird emails to PDF or saving the entire Thunderbird folder to PDF at once, that too for free. But you cannot save Thunderbird email attachments as a PDF separately using the manual approach. Additionally, many users have reported multiple issues with missing emails.
- Open the Thunderbird to PDF converter.
- Click on the 3 horizontal lines at the upper right-hand corner.
- Click the Add-ons option from the drop-down list.
- Now, type ‘ImportExportTools NG’ in the search bar.
- Press the Add to Thunderbird button.
- After that, click the Add option.
Thereafter, using the Add-on, convert Thunderbird to PDF format.
- Select the required Thunderbird folder.
- Right-click on the ImportExportTools NG option and select Export all messages in the folder.
- Select the PDF format to export Thunderbird emails to PDF.
- Choose Folder & Path to save Thunderbird emails to PDF.
Best Solution to Convert Thunderbird to PDF with Attachments
RecoveryTools Thunderbird Converter to PDF for legal, accounting, and forensic use cases lets you bulk convert Thunderbird emails to PDF with attachments easily in a secure, offline way. Download the free trial version of the tool for lightning-fast, perfect quality conversion every time.
This software also has a demo edition that allows users to export the first 25 Thunderbird emails to PDF format for free. In this way, users can test the application and learn about the software’s working and functionalities in a simple way.
How to Export Thunderbird Emails to PDF? – Complete Steps
- First of all, install and run the Converter in your Windows system & read pointers in the welcome window.
- Now, load Thunderbird Mailbox files in the application panel either by files or by choosing the whole Thunderbird profile folder.
- After that, select the required Thunderbird mailbox files & then click the Next button.
- Once done, choose the PDF option from the list of File-saving options to convert Thunderbird to PDF.
- Click on the Filter Options tab to save Thunderbird emails to PDF selectively.
- Apply the File Naming Option tab to manage your converted files in a good manner.
- This tool will choose a desktop location by default, also you can change it using the Browse button.
- Lastly, start the process of exporting Thunderbird emails to PDF by hitting the Convert tab.
- After the successful conversion process is finished, access the resultant PDF files from the destination location.
Benefits of Thunderbird to PDF Converter
- Provides a flexible GUI for both novices and tech users.
- Selective conversion of Thunderbird emails along with attachments.
- It has 30+ saving options which let the user do multiple data management drills, such as convert Thunderbird to PST, extract Thunderbird attachments, transfer Thunderbird to Outlook, export Thunderbird archive folder, and whatnot.
- Self-Sustainable Utility – This does not require any kind of extra installation to convert Thunderbird to PDF.
- Dual options to load single and multiple Thunderbird files or folders on the panel using the Select Files and Select Folders options.
- Advanced Filter option to export Thunderbird emails to PDF selectively via Bcc, Cc, To, Subject, From, Formatting, Image, and Signature.
- User-defined location to store the resultant data; otherwise, it will be stored in the Desktop location.
- 10+ file naming options to name the resultant converted file to manage your resultant data.
- Runs on all the previous as well as the latest versions of Windows OS such as Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, and all other 32-bit and 64-bit Windows OS.
Another Blog: Free Method to View MSF File without Thunderbird
Manual Methods vs Professional Solution: Choose the Best
| Features | Print to PDF (Built-in) | ImportExportTools NG Add-on | Professional Thunderbird to PDF Converter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Save a few emails (5-10) | Exporting Folders or multiple emails for free | Bulk email conversion with attachments |
| Number of Emails | Limited | Multiple emails/folders | Unlimited bulk conversion |
| Export Entire Folder | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Save Email Attachments | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Maintain Folder Structure | ❌ No | Limited | ✅ Yes |
| Email Metadata | Basic | Partial | Complete |
| Advanced Filters | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| File Naming Option | ❌ No | ❌ No | Multiple Naming Option |
| Risk of Missing Emails | Low | Possible | No data loss |
| Ease of Use | Easy | Moderate | Very Easy |
| Recommended When | Need to export only a few emails | Need to export folder for free | Need fast, accurate, large-volume PDF conversion with attachments |
FAQs: Export Thunderbird Emails to PDF
Q1: What is the difference between Thunderbird emails and PDF format?
Thunderbird stores emails locally in MBOX format that cannot be directly accessed without an email client. However, saving Thunderbird emails in Adobe PDF lets you access them offline on multiple devices easily. Converting Thunderbird MBOX to PDF also offers better security as PDFs can be password-protected.
Q2: How can I find specific emails after bulk-converting Thunderbird emails to PDF?
You can search emails by date, subject, from address, etc. The RecoveryTools Thunderbird to PDF converter provides you with multiple naming options for easy search and better organization.
Q3: Where will attachments be saved after exporting Thunderbird to Adobe PDF?
With the tool, you get an option to save them separately in the output folder or save all attachments as PDF document pages
Q4: Will I be able to archive Thunderbird messages to PDF by preserving the folder structure?
Yes, the exact folder structure, as in the actual path, is created with the final export.
Conclusion
In the above blog, we have learned to export Thunderbird emails to PDF. Here, we have discussed both manual as well as professional solutions to accomplish the task. Users can choose any of these solutions as per their requirements.
The manual solution has certain limitations to convert Thunderbird to PDF, so it is better to continue with the second solution for a quick and smooth migration. For more information, you can contact us anytime.
