Why convert Outlook MSG files to PDF
An MSG file is fine as long as everyone involved uses Outlook on Windows. Once it goes outside that world, to a client on a Mac, a court filing system, an accountant or a document management system, a PDF is far easier to handle. A PDF opens on every device, keeps the layout fixed, prints predictably, can't be edited casually and can be read by people who have never heard of MSG.
Outlook itself can only print one message at a time to PDF. Classic Outlook needs a PDF printer driver, and the results drop details such as the full recipient list on long threads. This converter keeps all of that, works on any operating system, and can handle hundreds of messages in one go.
What ends up in the PDF
Each message starts with a header block: From, Sent, To, Cc, Subject and, if you turn on full headers, the transport headers that Outlook stored when the email was received. The body follows in its original formatting. MSG files often store the body as compressed rich text, and InboxVue decompresses it and recovers the formatted HTML, so the PDF matches what the recipient saw in Outlook.
At the end, an attachments section lists every file with its name, type and size. With InboxVue Pro, choose Embed in PDF to include the files inside the PDF itself, which is handy when the PDF is the only thing you'll send. Meeting requests include the event date, time, location and organiser.
Fonts are embedded for Latin, Greek, Cyrillic, Arabic, Hebrew and CJK text, so the PDF looks the same on every reader.
Getting MSG files out of Outlook
If the emails are still in Outlook, you can create MSG files like this:
- Classic Outlook for Windows: select one or more messages and drag them into a folder in File Explorer. Each becomes an
.msgfile. For one message, you can also use File → Save As and choose Outlook Message Format - Unicode (*.msg). - New Outlook for Windows: right-click the message and choose Save as → Save as MSG.
Then drop the folder onto this page. For a mailbox you've exported from Gmail or Thunderbird, use MBOX to PDF instead. For standard internet email files, use EML to PDF.
Troubleshooting
The PDF is missing the email's images. Inline images embedded in the MSG are always included. Images linked from the web are blocked unless you press Load images before exporting.
The body is blank. The message may be encrypted (S/MIME or rights-protected), which only Outlook can decrypt with the recipient's credentials. The PDF shows the headers and a note.
Characters are wrong in an old message. Older ANSI MSG files depend on the sender's Windows code page. Fix the display under ⋯ → Text encoding, then export.
A combined PDF is very large. Embedding attachments adds their full size. Choose List only or Extract to ZIP folder to keep the PDF small.
Comparing MSG to PDF methods
| Method | Batch | Keeps full headers | Works on Mac | Uploads your email |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InboxVue | Yes (paid) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Outlook Print → Microsoft Print to PDF | No | No | Windows only | No |
| Upload converters | Some | Varies | Yes | Yes, usually with a size cap |
| Desktop converter suites | Yes | Yes | Mostly Windows | No |
For more ways to keep email as documents, see our guide to saving emails as PDF. If the PDFs are for court, read email to PDF for court. If you only need to read the message, the MSG viewer opens it instantly, and you can convert MSG to EML to import it into another mail app.