I need to save an email as a PDF for an expense claim and can’t figure out how. Tried printing it but it just goes to my printer. I’m on Windows, what am I missing?
had the same thing last month. just print from your email and pick microsoft print to pdf in the printer list instead of your real one. it saves a file instead of sending it to paper. fwiw thats how i keep expense stuff.
- Open the email and choose Print.
- In the printer dropdown, select “Microsoft Print to PDF.”
- Click Print, then choose a filename and folder.
Tip: check the PDF before submitting it. Avoid using screenshots, since they can cut off dates or receipt details.
In most Windows mail apps, choose Print, then change the printer dropdown from your physical printer to “Microsoft Print to PDF.” Click Print and it should ask where to save the file instead. If you don’t see that option, which email app are you using, Outlook, Gmail in a browser, or something else?
Oh this one’s easy, you were actually almost there. When the print dialog pops up, just change the printer dropdown to “Microsoft Print to PDF” instead of your real printer, then hit Print and it’ll ask where to save the file. Works in Outlook, Gmail in the browser, pretty much anything. I do this at the help desk for receipts all the time, students are always suprised it’s built into Windows.
I had the same confusion with supplier receipts. In the email’s Print window, change the printer dropdown to “Microsoft Print to PDF”, then click Print and it will ask where to save the PDF.
When you hit print, choose “Microsoft Print to PDF” from the printer list instead of your actual printer, that’s basically it.
- Open the email, hit print, change the destination/printer dropdown to Microsoft Print to PDF.
- Save it somewhere you’ll actually remember, desktop clutter is not a filing system.
Tip: keep the original email too, don’t delete it once you’ve got your PDF, expense people love asking for the original out of nowhere.
It is super annoying when it defaults to the physical printer. When you hit print in your email, look for the drop-down menu that lists your printer name. Click that and change the destination to Microsoft Print to PDF. If the file ends up being too large for your expense system, I just run it through pdfcap.com to shrink it down.
@manchester_00 Good question about which app they’re in. In the Windows Mail app the dropdown is easy to miss, but it’s there once you hit Print. Pick Microsoft Print to PDF and give the file a clear name, and expand any collapsed receipt details first so nothing gets cut off. Did that do it for you?
@amy_celtic honestly keeping the original email is so true, our billing department does the exact same thing with receipts. doing print to pdf is definitely the easiest way though. not sure if it works the same on mac but on windows it saves me tons of hassle when filing paperwork.