Why .pub files are hard to open

  • A .pub file is in Publisher's own format, and only Publisher reads it fully.
  • A few free office suites can import .pub files, but fonts, text that flows between boxes, and picture positions often shift.
  • Online converters mean uploading your file, which may hold names, addresses or a client's branding.

Save your publications as PDF while you can

  1. Open the publication in Publisher.
  2. Choose File > Export > Create PDF/XPS Document (or File > Save As and pick PDF).
  3. Under Options, pick Commercial Press if it will be printed professionally, or Standard for email.
  4. Save it next to the .pub file with the same name.

Start with the publications you reuse - the annual flyer, the newsletter template, the certificate. Also keep the original photos and logos; it's easier to rebuild with those than to pull pictures back out of a PDF.

Rebuild it in Desktop Publishing

  1. Open Desktop Publishing in your browser, or the Windows app.
  2. Pick a starter template or a blank page at the size you need.
  3. Add text boxes and link them so the text flows from one to the next. Copy the text across from your PDF.
  4. Place your pictures, then crop, fit or fill them in their frames.
  5. Put repeated headers, footers and page numbers on the master page.
  6. Save it as a .m2dp file to keep editing, and use Save as PDF for printing.

Which route for which file

PublicationBest route
Old newsletter or one-off poster you'll never changeSave as PDF and keep it
Flyer or price list you update every yearRebuild it once, then edit the new file
Certificates or name badges for a list of peopleRebuild it; Desktop Publishing Pro merges names from a CSV or Excel file
Business cards or anything that prints to the edgeRebuild it; Pro adds bleed and crop marks for the printers

Will Desktop Publishing open .pub files?

Not yet. Opening .pub files is planned for a future update. Until then, the PDF-and-rebuild route above is the one that keeps your work safe.