Transform Your Thunderbird Emails: A Simple Method to Export to PDF Files

Published On - October 10, 2024 by Nasir Khan | Reading Time: 4 minutes

In today’s world, Mozilla Thunderbird is an essential tool for easily managing personal and professional communication. However, as the inbox grows, free storage space becomes limited. This issue can be resolved by either purchasing a subscription or saving Thunderbird emails as PDF files. This article explains various methods to export Thunderbird emails to PDF, using both manual and automated approaches. During testing, we found that the manual method works best for smaller inboxes. Therefore, if you have a large inbox, we recommend using the Regain MBOX to PST Converter.

A Quick Introduction Before Converting MBOX to PDF Files

Mozilla Thunderbird is known as one of the elite email client applications preferred by many for the fact that it is open-source and allows its users to change themes. Still, when there’s a need to export or save an email or a conversation from and to a different environment, for example, PDF documents stand out as a better choice. The file format is widely used because it is collapsible, simple to handle, holds text and other people’s designs intact style and structure, and therefore an ideal candidate for record archival as well as business operation purposes.

When you convert emails from Thunderbird to PDF format, you save your messages, whether you change the email providers or have to send part of the correspondence to some of your coworkers or clients. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reasons for converting emails into PDF format and review the existing approaches: manual and automated.

Reasons to Export Thunderbird Emails to PDF

• Global Reach: Almost any device is capable of opening the PDF, leaving no room for system issues. Unlike the MBOX file format which comes with Thunderbird and which requires additional tools. However, the PDF is universally accepted in all operating systems.
• Professional Presentation: In cases, when emails are shared, for example, in a work environment, it is essential to retain the initial layout of the email containing embedded images and files which is made possible by PDFs.
• More Privacy Options: Information stored and shared in PDF format is secured by passwords and does not allow unauthorized changes or duplication.
• Legal and Archival Purposes: In this regard, many courts, legal departments, and regulatory authorities require such documents to be submitted in PDF format.
• Compact and Organized Storage: PDF files are in a compressed format and organizing them systematically is of great assistance to users, making it possible to conserve space for their emails.

Method 1: Export Thunderbird Emails to PDF Using the ImportExportTools NG Add-on

One of the methods that has been adopted widely in exporting emails from the Thunderbird application is adding the ImportExportTools NG add-on that comes for free so that it makes a variety of functional additions to the Thunderbird application.

1. There is a three horizontal lines icon on the top right corner of the Thunderbird window, click on it and find the menu.
2. After that, from the shown options click on Add-ons and Themes.
3. In the search box type: ImportExportTools NG then hit search.
4. To get the extension, click Add to Thunderbird, and follow the instructions to restart Thunderbird in case it asks you to do so.
5. After the installation is completed click on inbox / the folder containing the emails you intend to export.
6. Right-click on the folder or highlight the particular emails that you prefer to select.
7. From the right-clicked menu select the ImportExportTools NG option.
8. Choose either Export all messages in the folder or Export selected messages in a drop-down list.
9. Click on the option Select output format and PDF format which will prompt you to select a destination file location.

Method 2: Save MBOX Emails as PDFs using the Print Command

Another manual method for exporting Thunderbird emails to PDF involves using the built-in print function. This method is simple but requires more user input and is ideal for users looking to convert a small number of emails.

1. Launch Thunderbird and select the email you want to convert to PDF.
2. Press Ctrl + P on your keyboard or click the File menu at the top and select Print.
3. In the print dialog box, change the printer destination to Save as PDF.
4. Choose where you’d like to save the PDF file, then click Save.

Method 3: Best Method to Convert Transform Thunderbird Emails to PDF

The methods above work well when your inbox is small, but if you’re dealing with a large inbox, there’s a better option. The Regain MBOX Converter is one of the best tool available online. This automated tool allows you to convert multiple MBOX emails into PDFs with ease. Additionally, it offers the ability to back up your Thunderbird emails into over 5 file formats. Users can also migrate their Thunderbird emails to Office 365, Gmail, and other major email clients. Let’s take a closer look at some of the tool’s features.

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Key Features of Regain MBOX to PST Converter

• Batch Conversion: You can convert multiple emails at once, making it a huge time-saver if you have a large email archive to handle.
• Retention of Email Details: All your important email info—like the subject, sender, recipient, and date—will stay intact throughout the conversion.
• Attachment Support: The software effortlessly exports emails with attachments included in the PDF, giving you a complete, accurate copy.
• Easy-to-Use Interface: Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced user, the interface is designed to be simple and easy to navigate.
• Customizable Options: You can tailor the conversion to your needs by choosing to include or exclude certain parts of the email.

Steps to Export Thunderbird Emails to PDF File Format

1. Install and launch the Regain MBOX to PST Converter Tool with administrative privileges on your system.
2. Click on the button Open to add the MBOX files to the wizard.
3. Now, select the Desired Files/Folders from the tree structure format.
4. Then click on the option Export and select the saving format as PDF.
5. Finally, click on the button Start Conversion Process to initiate the backup of MBOX files to PDF.

Conclusion

Saving your Thunderbird emails as PDFs is a smart way to keep them safe, organized, and easy to share. Whether you’re switching email platforms or just want a solid backup of your emails, PDFs are a great choice because they work everywhere and keep everything looking the same. We’ve walked through a few ways to do this—from manual methods like using ImportExportTools NG or the print function in Thunderbird, to using an automated tool like the Regain MBOX to PST Converter. Each option has its ups and downs, depending on how many emails you have and what you need. But no matter which method you go for, turning your Thunderbird emails into PDFs will ensure they’re always accessible, secure, and easy to handle.