How to Convert Thunderbird to PDF – A Complete Guide
Summary: This article describes the methods to convert Thunderbird email to PDF on a Mac system. A step-by-step guide for Mac is available for you to take advantage of.
Topics Covered in this Article:
Mozilla Thunderbird is a cross-platform desktop email client available for Mac, Windows, and Linux Operating systems. As we all know it uses MBOX file format to store email messages.
But there can be users who don’t require the MBOX files for their task. Particularly for legal compliances, PDF format is preferred over the default MBOX file. Hence, users look for a way to export MBOX to PDF on Mac to convert Thunderbird to PDF.
User Query & Reasons Behind Thunderbird to PDF Conversion
A user query:
For the same, there are similar user queries all over the internet. There are many reasons for users to desperately search for a method to convert Thunderbird to PDF. Some of them are as follows:
- Mobility and versatility: PDF files are independent of the Operating system. There are no compatibility issues with these files and hence are the best format for sharing and accessing data over multiple devices.
- Standard Business format: PDF files have become the standard documents for many businesses. It is a secure format that can be password protected. Also, its versatility makes it the common standard for various business transactions.
- Legal Compliance: PDF files are the accepted file format for legal compliance. If you need to showcase some emails in court, then handing over the emails in PDF documents is the best way.
Now, let us move to the Thunderbird to PDF Mac conversion methods.
How to Convert Thunderbird Emails to PDF
There are 3 different ways to export emails from Thunderbird to PDF files.
- Manual Method Using Native Means for Conversion
- Using Mozilla Thunderbird Add-on Manually
- Thunderbird to PDF Converter to Export Emails with Attachments
So, read all the methods and choose the suitable one as per your requirements.
Method 1: Save Thunderbird Emails as PDF using Print Method
There is no dedicated option in Thunderbird for saving emails to PDF. However, there is a workaround that uses the Print command. But it only saves one message at a time.
- Open Thunderbird, and select the message you want to convert to PDF
- Go to the File menu and click the Print option.
- Choose PDF from the bottom-left corner and click Save to PDF.
- Give a name to the PDF file and set the location where you want to export it.
- Click Save and the message will be exported to PDF.
Method 2: Export Thunderbird Emails to PDF using Add-on
There is a free add-on that adds multiple import and export functionalities to Thunderbird. You can download the “Import Export Tools” add-on for your Mac application. Only after that, follow the below-mentioned instructions. Do note that it won’t save attachments. However, it will export all/selected emails from Thunderbird to PDF in bulk.
- Restart Thunderbird after installing the add-on.
- Select all the email messages that you want to convert to PDF.
- Right-click and select Save selected message, then click PDF Format.
- Set the location and save the files.
- All the emails will be saved in separate PDF files (No attachments).
Drawback of Manual Methods
- Users cannot export emails in bulk to PDF.
- For non-technical users, the procedure can be challenging to use.
- Both method does not allow you to save email attachments independently.
- Duplicate emails must be manually identified by users.
- Until all email files are completed, you will need to go through the entire process again.
Method 3: Convert Thunderbird to PDF using Thunderbird to PDF Converter
None of the manual methods ensure that your attachments will be preserved with the emails. This is a common problem for users who look for free methods to convert Thunderbird email to PDF. If you don’t have the requirement of attachments, the free methods are more than enough to cater to your needs.
But, if attachments are necessary, then MBOX Converter for Mac is a must. Don’t be alarmed with the name. Use this automated tool and learn to save Thunderbird emails to the hard drive. Moreover, it is a simple tool for exporting Thunderbird to Excel Sheets.
This conversion utility has several export formats that include PDF, PST, MSG, EML or EMLX, CSV, TXT, HTML, etc. It is an all-around tool for Mac Thunderbird users, hence, it is quite easy to migrate Thunderbird to Outlook on Mac.
Special Highlights of the Automated Method
Multiple special features makes it a popular choice among Mac users, such as
- Keeps attachments intact in the Adobe PDF files after conversion.
- Naming convention option
- Date-range filters
- Page Margins for top. bottom, right, and left page sides
- Page Size such as A4, A3, Letter, etc.
- Paper Orientation i.e., Portrait and Landscape
- Page Numbers or Date on each Page
Guide to Convert Thunderbird Email to PDF File
Default Location of Thunderbird MBOX files: ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/<Profile name>/”
- Launch the software for Thunderbird to PDF conversion on a Mac system.
- Use Add File/Add Folder to select Thunderbird MBOX files(s) and click Next.
- Select PDF from the software and click Advance Settings.
- Apply Advance Settings such as layout settings, filters, etc., and click the Save button.
- Select Change to choose the destination to securely preserve the output file and click OK.
- Click Export to begin converting Thunderbird email to PDF.
Conclusion
Whether it’s for presentation, sharing, business transactions, or legal compliance, PDF is the standard format for them all. It has global acceptance due to its cross-platform compatibility and security. Therefore, it is quite common for users to look for methods to convert Thunderbird email to PDF. But you won’t find methods for Mac system users that easily. Hence, in this article, we have encompassed some simple methods to export Thunderbird to PDF. After reading the article, you can choose and implement any of the given methods as per requirement. However, we would suggest you choose the Thunderbird to PDF Converter solution for exporting emails with attached files.