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Single PDF Output

  • 5 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 27 views
  • Last reply by Matt

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Is there anyway to force TBird to print selected emails into a single pdf file? I've been trying to convert my office to TBird, but this is a show stopper. We are constantly searching our email archives, selecting the appropriate ones, then printing to a pdf via the built-in Microsoft Print to PDF driver. We then send that email to our client, so they don't have 10-15 attachments. Most of our clients are older and it's hard enough getting them to open a single attachment.

This is the ONE item Outlook does that TBird does not. There's not even an extension that does it.

Thanks!

Is there anyway to force TBird to print selected emails into a single pdf file? I've been trying to convert my office to TBird, but this is a show stopper. We are constantly searching our email archives, selecting the appropriate ones, then printing to a pdf via the built-in Microsoft Print to PDF driver. We then send that email to our client, so they don't have 10-15 attachments. Most of our clients are older and it's hard enough getting them to open a single attachment. This is the ONE item Outlook does that TBird does not. There's not even an extension that does it. Thanks!

All Replies (5)

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You might want to check the addon, PrintingTools NG, as it may do what you want.

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The ImportExportTools NG add-on can export a selection of messages to a single text file. If the messages contain html content, the same add-on can export messages to (separate) pdf files, which you could then merge into a single pdf with one of many pdf apps that perform that operation.

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Thanks for the input, guys, but ImportExportTools NG is NG, as in "No Good". Everyone suggests this, but it would seem nobody actually uses that add-on, otherwise they'd know it's limitations. Sure, IET-NG SAYS that it exports a single PDF, but I've never got it to work. Once upon a time, I contacted their support and they blew me off several times before saying, "Yeah, that isn't a feature."

PLEASE read the original post. Thunderbird ALREADY exports single PDF files. The problems are: a) you HAVE to name each file individually (just like IET-NG) and b) I'm not paying secretaries to combine PDF files when Outlook does it, plain and simple straight out of the box, no mods or addins needed. Besides, I'd be asking over a dozen people to learn AND ADHERE to a workflow that MUST be precise. That's not gonna happen with 5 people, let alone the number involved in this scenario. Also, we'd have to purchase the software for every workstation to keep everything in-house, as these are legal documents and CANNOT be processed through an online SAS solution.

Nothing against y'all, but EVERY time I post about this, I always get flack about "why are you doing this? that's stupid!" Others give complicated workarounds that would be either costly to implement or just completely unfeasible.

Again, the original posted question was "Why can't TBird export multiple emails into ONE pdf file, as Outlook has ALWAYS done?" There is currently NO TBird add-on solution that accomplished what Outlooks does natively. Select the emails, hit the print button, hit print button, name the file. Four EASY steps.

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I stated in my first reply that IET NG exports single messages to pdf files, or combines several messages in a single text file. It has never been possible, with or without an add-on, to combine several messages in a single pdf file. Note also that saving to pdf is built into W10, but not necessarily for Linux or OS X, so the add-on's pdf export is relevant there.

You're welcome to submit a request for enhancement to Bugzilla, or comment on the existing one:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=575549

but if this feature is critical for your workflow, using Outlook is probably the best option.

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This matter was discussed in 2021. Nothing has changed. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1358462