In today’s digital world, email communication has become an indispensable part of our personal and professional lives, with Google’s Gmail being one of the most widely used services. However, there are instances when you may need to send an existing email as an attachment in a new email message. This can be necessary when you want to forward a conversation without losing the formatting, share multiple related emails at once, or provide a direct reference within a business context. Here, we will explore the four best methods to send a Gmail email as a file attachment.

1. Download and Attach as PDF

The first method is to download the email you want to send as an attachment in PDF format and then upload it as a file attachment to your new email. Here’s how:

– Open the email you want to attach.

– Click on the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the email.

– Select “Print” from the dropdown menu.

– Once the print dialog appears, change the destination to “Save as PDF.”

– Click on “Save,” choose your desired location, and save your email as a PDF file.

– Compose your new email in Gmail, click on the paperclip icon to attach files, and select your saved PDF.

2. Attaching Emails Using Drag and Drop

If you’re seeking more rapidity and efficiency, try this drag-and-drop method:

– Make sure your browser has both Gmail’s mailbox tab and ‘Compose mail’ opened.

– In your mailbox tab, simply click and drag the desired email(s) you wish to attach from Gmail into the ‘Compose mail’ window.

– Drop these emails in the body area or at the bottom where attachments are placed typically. Gmail will automatically add these as .eml files.

3. Forwarding as an Attachment

Gmail also offers a built-in feature which allows users to forward emails as attachments:

– Open Gmail and select one or several emails that you want to send as attachments.

– Click on the three vertical dots for more actions at the top right of your Gmail screen.

– Choose “Forward as attachment” from the dropdown menu.

– Enter the recipient’s address in the new window that pops up with all selected emails attached.

4. Using Google Drive for Large Conversations

When dealing with large conversations or multiple attachments:

– Open the thread or select emails you wish to share.

– Click on three dots and select “Add to Drive” option.

– You can choose which items within a conversation need saving or save the entire thread in one go.

– Once uploaded, compose your new message and insert files using Google Drive (drive icon), ensuring that they’re shared properly for view or edit permissions with recipients.

These methods ensure that sending Gmail emails as file attachments is straightforward and effective. By employing these techniques when necessary, users can make their email correspondence more cohesive, organized, and professional.