How to Convert PST to PDF With Attachments
Last Updated on August 30, 2026 by Shaks George
In short: To convert PST to PDF, the right method depends on your Outlook. In new or classic Outlook, open an email and use Save as or Microsoft Print to PDF, one at a time. In classic Outlook, the Adobe Acrobat tab converts a whole folder with attachments. For a full PST with the folder tree and attachments kept, without opening Outlook, a dedicated converter does it in one run.
Why convert PST to PDF
A PST file only opens in Outlook, while a PDF opens on any device and looks the same everywhere. That is why people move email into PDF for legal and compliance records, for sharing with people who do not use Outlook, then for long-term archives that must stay readable years from now. A PDF can also be locked with a password, which a raw PST cannot. The one catch most guides skip is that your options changed with the new Outlook for Windows, so knowing which Outlook you run tells you which method below actually works.
Technical Executive and Staff Writer, Corbett Software
“The method you need depends entirely on scale and which Outlook you run. For a handful of emails, Save as PDF is free and fine. For a folder with attachments, classic Outlook still has Adobe. For a whole PST with the tree kept, that is where a converter earns its place.”
Method 1: Save as PDF in Outlook
This is the free, built-in route, with slightly different steps by version.
- New Outlook for Windows: open the email, click More actions, the three dots, choose Save as and pick PDF. You can also press Ctrl+P and select Microsoft Print to PDF.
- Classic Outlook: open or select the email, go to File then Print, set the printer to Microsoft Print to PDF, click Print and choose where to save.
Two limits to know. It converts one message at a time. It also does not embed the attachments inside the PDF. If Microsoft Print to PDF is missing, turn it on under Windows Settings, Apps, Optional Features.
Method 2: Adobe in classic Outlook
If you have Adobe Acrobat, the Acrobat tab in classic Outlook converts a whole folder of selected messages to PDF, with attachments, in one pass. That corrects a common myth that Adobe handles only one email at a time.
- Open classic Outlook and select the emails or the folder you want.
- Click the Acrobat tab on the ribbon.
- Choose Selected Messages or Selected Folders, then Create New PDF.
- Set Attachments to Include all, name the file and save.
The classic PDFMaker plugin does not appear in the new Outlook for Windows. There you install the Adobe Create PDF add-in from the Microsoft store instead. That one converts the open message rather than a full folder. Acrobat and Outlook also have to sit on the same computer.
Method 3: Convert a full PST with a converter
The manual routes work email by email or lean on Adobe being installed. When you need to convert an entire PST, keep the folder hierarchy and embed attachments without opening Outlook at all, a dedicated converter runs the whole mailbox in one pass. This is the one step where a paid tool earns its place. For a handful of messages, Method 1 is enough.
The Corbett PST Converter reads the PST directly, previews every folder and exports to PDF with attachments and the folder tree intact. It needs no Outlook, filters by date or folder so you export only what you need, then offers a free demo edition that converts the first 10 emails per folder so you can test the output first. It runs on every edition of Windows.
- Install and open the tool, then click Open then Email Data Files then PST File and add your file.
- Let it preview the folders and messages.
- Click Export, choose PDF, apply any date or folder filter, then Save.
Attachments, page layout and legal exports
A few details matter once the mailbox is large or the export is for a lawyer. On the attachment side, converters give you choices: embed the file in the PDF, append it as extra PDF pages or save it alongside in its original format. For legal and compliance work, a full converter can add Bates numbering and a date stamp to every page, then set the page layout, margins and size such as A4 or Letter, which is what eDiscovery and audit exports need. One caution: avoid online PST to PDF sites for confidential mail, since they upload your whole archive to a third-party server.
Which method should you use?
Match the method to the job. For a few emails, Save as PDF is free and quick. For a folder with attachments and you already own Acrobat, the Adobe route in classic Outlook works well. For an entire PST, a mailbox with no Outlook installed or a legal export that needs the folder tree and stamping, a dedicated converter is the reliable choice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert a PST to PDF without Outlook installed?
Yes, but not with the manual methods. Print to PDF and the Adobe add-in both need Outlook open. A dedicated converter reads the PST file directly, so no Outlook is required.
Do these methods keep email attachments inside the PDF?
Microsoft Print to PDF does not. Adobe in classic Outlook can if you set Attachments to Include all. A dedicated converter can embed, append or save attachments, whichever you choose.
Why is the Adobe PDFMaker tab missing in my Outlook?
You are on the new Outlook for Windows, which does not support the classic PDFMaker plugin. Use the Adobe Create PDF add-in instead. You can also switch to classic Outlook for full folder conversion.
Can I convert multiple PST files at once?
The manual methods handle one message or folder at a time. For batch conversion of several PST files, use an automated converter.
Can I add Bates numbering for a legal export?
Not with Print to PDF. A full PST to PDF converter can add Bates numbering and a date stamp and set the page layout, which is what eDiscovery and compliance exports need.
Is the folder structure preserved?
Print to PDF flattens everything into single files. A dedicated converter keeps the same folder hierarchy in the output.
