An EML file is a single email saved to disk. It is easy to create, since most mail apps can save or download a message as .eml, but it is not always easy to open, share or keep as a record. A PDF solves all three.

This guide shows how to open an EML file, convert it to PDF, and combine many emails into one PDF.

What Is an EML File?

EML is the standard MIME email format. One .eml file holds everything in a single message:

  • the sender, recipients, date and subject;
  • the message body, as formatted HTML, plain text or both;
  • inline images, such as logos or pasted screenshots;
  • attachments, such as PDFs, spreadsheets or photos.

Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird and Windows Mail can all save emails as EML. In Gmail, open a message, select the three-dot menu and choose Download message to get an .eml file.

Convert EML to PDF Online

Fileverter's converter reads the email in your browser, so the message and its attachments are never uploaded to a server.

1. Open the converter

Go to the free EML to PDF converter.

2. Select one or more emails

Drop .eml files onto the page or select them. You can add up to 300 at once, and Outlook .msg files can be mixed in too. Each email appears in the preview with a header showing who sent it, who received it, when, and which files were attached.

3. Check the preview

Formatting, links, tables and inline images are kept. Images loaded from the internet are blocked by default, because loading them can tell the sender that the email was opened. If the email needs them, select Load remote images.

4. Choose the page settings

Pick A4 or Letter, portrait or landscape, and normal or no margins. You can also turn off the email header if you only want the message body.

5. Save the PDF

Select Save as PDF and choose Save as PDF as the destination in your browser's print dialog. The text stays selectable and searchable. Select Download image PDF if you'd rather skip the print dialog; that PDF downloads directly, but its text can't be selected.

Combine Many EML Files Into One PDF

Saving a conversation, a project's correspondence or evidence for a dispute often means dozens of emails. Converting them one by one is slow, and most online converters only accept one file at a time.

When you add several emails, the converter:

  1. sorts them by date, oldest first (you can switch to newest first or set your own order with the arrows);
  2. starts each email on a new page with its own header;
  3. saves them all in a single PDF.

Need numbered pages for a legal or HR file? Run the finished PDF through the Bates stamp tool to add sequential numbers to every page.

Save Attachments Too

A PDF can't hold the original attachments in a useful way, so the converter lists them in each email's header and offers a separate download. With several attachments, they come as one ZIP file, grouped into folders by email. Inline images stay inside the PDF where they appeared in the email.

Open EML Files Without an Online Tool

If you already have a mail app installed, it can usually open EML files and print them to PDF:

  • Mac: double-click the file to open it in Apple Mail, then choose File > Export as PDF.
  • Windows with Outlook: double-click the file to open it in Outlook, then print it and choose Microsoft Print to PDF.
  • Thunderbird on any system: choose File > Open > Saved Message, then print it to PDF.

These methods work well for a single email. The online converter is quicker when you don't have a mail app, when you're on a phone or Chromebook, or when you need many emails in one PDF.

Why Does the PDF Look Different From the Email?

Emails are written for a mail app window, while a PDF has fixed pages. Differences can appear when:

  • remote images are blocked or no longer exist on the sender's server;
  • a newsletter uses a very wide layout that has to shrink to fit the page;
  • the email relied on fonts that aren't installed on your device;
  • the message was plain text, which keeps its line breaks and simple styling.

Check the preview before saving, and load remote images if the layout depends on them.

Privacy

Emails often contain personal details, contracts or account information. Fileverter reads and converts them on your device and never sends them to Fileverter's servers. Scripts in an email are removed before it is shown, and remote images stay blocked unless you allow them. The PDF stays on your device unless you choose to share it.

Ready to convert? Open the EML to PDF converter and drop in your emails.