Ever feel the urge to back up your precious Evernote notes, move them to a new service, or perhaps consolidate a couple of accounts? It's a common thought, and thankfully, Evernote makes it quite straightforward. The key thing to remember right off the bat is that exporting isn't something you can do from the web version of Evernote. You'll need to download the desktop app for either Mac or Windows to get this done.
Why would you want to export? Well, there are a few solid reasons. Creating backup copies of all your hard-earned notes is a smart move, ensuring your information is safe even if something unexpected happens. It's also the go-to method if you're looking to download all your content in one go, or if you're merging two Evernote accounts into one. Moving notes from a personal account to a business one? Exporting is your friend here too.
So, how do you actually do it? It's pretty intuitive once you're in the desktop app.
Exporting Notes and Notebooks as ENEX or HTML
This is the most comprehensive way to get your data out. You can choose to export individual notes or entire notebooks. The two main formats you'll encounter are Evernote XML (.enex) and HTML (.html). The .enex format is particularly useful if you plan to import your notes into another Evernote account or a compatible application later on.
On a Mac:
- Open your Evernote desktop app.
- Select the notebook or the specific notes you wish to export.
- Right-click on your selection and choose 'Export...'.
- Pick your desired file format: .enex, single-page HTML, or multi-page HTML.
On Windows:
- Launch the Evernote desktop app.
- Select the notebook or the specific notes you want to export.
- Right-click on your selection and choose 'Export...'.
- Choose your preferred file format: .enex, single-page HTML, or multi-page HTML.
Exporting Notes as PDFs
Sometimes, a PDF is all you need – a clean, universally readable snapshot of your note. This is great for sharing or for creating a more static archive.
Exporting a Single Note as PDF:
- Desktop (Mac & Windows): Open the note, click the three-dot 'More actions' button in the top right, select 'Export as PDF...', choose your page options, and click 'Export'.
- Mobile (iOS): Open the note, tap the three-dot 'More options' button, select 'Print note', tap the share icon, and save to Files.
- Evernote Web: Open the note, click the three-dot 'More actions' button, select 'Print', set the Destination to 'Save as PDF', and click 'Save'.
Exporting Multiple Notes or a Full Notebook as PDF:
This is where things get a bit more powerful for batch processing.
- Mac: In your note list, click a note, then hold 'Shift' and click another to select a range, or hold 'Command' to select non-sequential notes. A blue bar will appear at the bottom; click the three-dot 'More actions' button and select 'Export as PDF...'. You can also export a full notebook by clicking the three-dot menu next to the notebook name in your notebooks list.
- Windows: Similar to Mac, click a note, use 'Shift' to select a range or 'Ctrl' to select non-sequential notes. Click the three-dot 'More actions' button on the blue bar and select 'Export as PDF...'. For a full notebook, use the three-dot menu next to the notebook name.
When exporting to PDF, you have several page options to play with: paper size, orientation (portrait/landscape), margins, and whether to export in color or black and white. For multiple notes, you can even control the page numbers, note order, and whether each note starts on a new page. Just a heads-up: PDFs will include text and embedded images, but attachments will appear as symbolic images, not actual files. If you need those attachments as separate files, the .enex or HTML export is the way to go.
