How to batch print hundreds of emails from gmail?

April 5, 2009 7:40 PM

Initiating an HR investigation, need to print hundreds of emails from gmail. Possible?

I'm initiating a formal complaint against my immediate supervisor and/or possible civil action. About 99% of my contact with her is via email, all are saved in my Gmail archive. I've got about 300 threads, some with as many as 20 back-and-forths, and I need to print them *all.*

What's the best route? Is there a way to automate that? If I have to export to another client, is it difficult to only export the ones I need and not the 10,000 other emails in my account?

Alternatively, I could just grab all the text, but it would need to go in reverse-chronological order to demonstrate a history of lying and/or reprimanding me for doing things she specifically asked me to do.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

posted by anonymous to technology (4 comments total)

I would set up IMAP access to your GMail account and connect with another mail client. Create a local folder inside this other mail client and copy all relevant messages into it. Most desktop mail clients let you select a bunch of messages and print them at once.
posted by odinsdream at 7:49 PM on April 5

Previously

The only way I see to do it has some sort of manual labor associated. In Gmail you'll get to print the whole thread at once, while in Thunderbird you get to hit the print button just once.
posted by theichibun at 7:56 PM on April 5

Print them out individually. You will need them in this format. List them on a sheet with dates mailed and date printed out with blurb about topic of E-mail.
posted by Ironmouth at 8:42 PM on April 5

[This is a followup from the asker.]

Just wanted to post my solution, which involved everyones answers.

I first created a throwaway email address on gmail, then made a filter in the primary account that forwards all emails from that person to the new account, and then I snag the emails from that account via IMAP with thunderbird.
posted by cortex at 11:39 AM on April 6