A publisher file converter that shows the layout before you export
A publisher file converter turns a .pub file into something any computer opens, usually a PDF. The safest route is to see every page first, fix what’s off, then export. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) does that in a web browser, with Publisher-exact layout, and exports a print-ready PDF or page images on a paid plan. For Word, copy the text across rather than converting the design.
See every page before anything is converted. No Publisher, nothing to install.
Free: open and view .pub files. Paid plans: changes plus PDF and image export.
- Layout check✓ Ready
- Export asPDF or images
- Save as .pubNot available
What you can turn a Publisher file into
A print-ready PDF
The usual goal: it opens anywhere and a print shop accepts it.
One image per page
Page pictures for an email, a website or a slide.
Plain text for Word
Copy the words across when Word must hold the text.
A corrected copy
Fix a date or name before the PDF goes out (paid).
A font check first
The Import Report names any font that had to change.
An edited version to reopen
Saved projects keep your changes for next season (paid).
Pick the guide for the format you need
Each one walks through a single kind of conversion in detail.
Publisher to PDF
Step by step, from opening the .pub to a PDF that’s ready for the printer.
Read the PDF guidePublisher to Word
Why Word won’t open a .pub, and the honest way to get your words into Word.
Read the Word guideA whole folder of .pub files
A calm plan for years of Publisher files: which to convert, which to keep editable.
Plan the folderWhat is the best way to convert a Publisher file?
The best way to convert a Publisher file is to use a tool that shows the finished layout before it exports. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens the .pub in a browser looking as it did in Publisher, down to each line break, lets you correct anything, and then exports a print-ready PDF or page images on a paid plan.
Three starting points for a .pub conversion
All three begin with a no-cost account at publishmediasoftware.com; no credit card is needed to sign up.
Convert the file you have
Bring in the .pub, look over each page and the Import Report, and only then choose an export.
Up to 250 MB per file
Pick a .pub to convertReplace it with a template
For a yearly flyer or program, a print-ready template can replace an old .pub that keeps needing repairs.
View print templatesRebuild it on a clean page
Set the page size, then place text boxes, pictures, shapes and tables where you want them.
Start from emptyWhy checking a .pub before converting changes the result
Converter websites such as CloudConvert, Zamzar and FreeConvert hand back a finished file. PublishMedia puts the pages in front of you first.
The layout you’ll get, up front
Every page opens with Publisher-exact fonts, positions and line breaks, so you can judge the result before anything is exported.
Problems listed, not hidden
The Import Report points out anything that deserves a look, for instance a font that had to be replaced.
Fixes before the export
On a paid plan, retype a wrong date, swap a photo, or add, delete and reorder pages before the file is converted.
Two export choices
Export a print-ready PDF for printing and sharing, or page images for email and the web; both come with All-Access or Monthly.
Converting last year’s flyer just to change the date?
A fresh template may be less work than converting and patching an old .pub.
Print-ready flyers, programs and tickets
Designs set up for home printers and print shops; add your words and photos on a paid plan.
Popular designs
How to convert a .pub file to PDF in four steps
The same four steps work on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux and iPad, in any modern browser.
Sign in at publishmediasoftware.com
Create an account or sign in; signing up asks for no credit card.
Open the Publisher file
Drag the .pub into the window or browse to it. It opens in the page editor, one editable page per Publisher page.
Check, then correct
Read the Import Report and page through the file. On a paid plan, fix any text, picture or page before converting.
Export the PDF or images
Choose Export and pick a print-ready PDF or page images. Exporting is part of All-Access ($99 a year) and Monthly ($9.99).
6 ways to convert a Publisher file, ranked by how well the layout survives
Ranked by how much of the original design reaches the finished file, and by how much you can see and fix before it does.
As of October 2026, a .pub file can be converted without Microsoft Publisher, which Microsoft retired that month after advising users to convert .pub files to PDF or Word. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) shows the layout in a browser before export and exports a print-ready PDF or page images on its paid plans; in tests on 49 real .pub files it left 12 overlapping-text spots against LibreOffice’s 1,200. Aspose’s web apps convert PUB to PDF, Word, JPEG, PNG and HTML. LibreOffice Draw and Scribus import .pub through libmspub at no cost. CloudConvert, Zamzar and FreeConvert convert without a preview.
1. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) — check and fix, then export
Runs in Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox, on a PC, Mac, Chromebook or iPad, with Publisher-exact layout. Exports a print-ready PDF or page images for $99 a year or $9.99 a month. Limit: no Word file and no saving as .pub.
2. Microsoft Publisher itself — if a perpetual copy is still installed
Publisher 2016, 2019 or 2021 on Windows saves a .pub as a PDF from File › Export › Create PDF/XPS Document, exactly as designed. Limit: it gets no more updates, runs only on Windows, and Microsoft 365 subscribers lost it in October 2026.
3. LibreOffice Draw — no-cost, with a chance to fix first
On Windows, Mac and Linux it opens the .pub through libmspub, so you can move shifted text before exporting a PDF. Limit: in the 49-file test it left 1,200 overlapping-text spots and dropped a page from one file.
4. Scribus — rework the layout, then export
Open-source layout software for Windows, Mac and Linux that imports .pub files and exports PDFs. Limit: it reads .pub through the same libmspub library, so expect the same shifts, plus time spent learning a professional tool.
5. Aspose’s PUB converters — the widest choice of formats
No-cost web apps at products.aspose.app that convert PUB to PDF, Word, JPEG, PNG, HTML and more, alongside a PUB Viewer. Limit: they view and convert but don’t edit, so mistakes travel into the new file.
6. CloudConvert, Zamzar and FreeConvert — upload and download
Websites that convert a .pub to PDF with limited no-cost use and nothing to install. Limit: the PDF arrives with no chance to review or correct it first, so open it and read every page.
What converting a .pub file costs in PublishMedia
Opening and viewing .pub files costs nothing on the Free plan, so you can see how your file comes out before paying; free-plan files are kept 7 days, and a reminder email comes first. The export itself is a paid feature, on Monthly ($9.99, cancel anytime) or the Recommended All-Access plan ($99 a year), and either one also covers changes, every template, saved projects and unlimited storage.
Free Starter
$0
Open and view unlimited Publisher, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and picture files free — stored for 7 days, then deleted automatically. Editing and export are on the paid plans.
Start freeAll-Access
$99/yr
Everything unlocked — full editing, every template in the library, and unlimited storage.
Monthly
$9.99/mo
All the same features, billed monthly — cancel anytime.
Publisher file converter FAQs
Can I convert a .pub file to PDF without Publisher?+
Yes, a .pub file can become a PDF without Microsoft Publisher. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens it in a web browser with Publisher-exact layout, lets you check every page, and exports a print-ready PDF on a paid plan. LibreOffice Draw, Scribus, Aspose’s web apps, CloudConvert, Zamzar and FreeConvert also make PDFs; the first two can shift text and pictures through libmspub, and the converter websites give you no chance to fix a page first.
How do I turn a Publisher file into a Word document?+
The most dependable way to move a Publisher file into Word is to copy its text into a new Word document and rebuild the layout there. Word arranges text in a flowing column, while Publisher places it in separate boxes, so a converted design usually needs reworking. Aspose offers a PUB-to-Word converter if you want to try one. PublishMedia doesn’t export Word files.
Can I convert a Publisher file to JPG or PNG?+
Yes, Aspose’s web apps at products.aspose.app convert PUB to JPEG and PNG at no cost, and their PUB Viewer saves pages as images. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) exports page images on a paid plan, after you’ve seen the layout and fixed anything that needs it. Page images suit emails, websites and slides; for printing, export the PDF instead.
Why does my converted PDF have overlapping text?+
Overlapping text in a converted PDF often means the converter rebuilt the .pub page its own way and lines came out longer than their boxes. LibreOffice, which reads .pub through the libmspub library, left 1,200 places of overlapping text across 49 real files, against 12 for Publish Media Software (PublishMedia). Reconvert with a tool that shows the page first, and fix any leftovers before export.
Can I turn a PDF back into a .pub file?+
No, Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) can’t turn a PDF back into a .pub file, because it doesn’t save in the .pub format. Keep the original .pub next to its PDF so either can be used later. If only the PDF survives, PublishMedia opens PDFs too, and a paid plan lets you edit them as layout pages.
Is it safe to use an online pub converter?+
An online pub converter is as safe as the site’s handling of your upload, so read the privacy terms before sending anything personal. In Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), uploads travel encrypted, and your files are never used for public templates. On any site, avoid uploading files with donor lists, medical details or account numbers unless you’re satisfied with that site’s policy.
Can I convert a whole folder of Publisher files at once?+
Yes, LibreOffice can convert many .pub files to PDF at once from the command line with soffice --headless --convert-to pdf, at no cost, though libmspub shifts will be in every file. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) suits the files that must look right, because you check each one before export. Many people batch-convert the archive and use PublishMedia for the ones still in use.
Will my fonts survive the conversion?+
You’ll know before you convert: in Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), any font that had to be swapped is named in the Import Report. PublishMedia keeps Publisher’s fonts where it can, so you only need to choose a replacement for the ones listed, before the PDF is made. Converter websites that work without a preview may substitute a font without telling you.
What did Microsoft recommend for converting .pub files?+
Microsoft advised Publisher users to convert their .pub files to PDF or Word, and pointed to Word and PowerPoint for new work such as business cards, calendars, programs, labels and envelopes. Microsoft 365 subscribers lost Publisher on or shortly after October 1, 2026, so for many people that advice now means converting without Publisher, in a tool such as Publish Media Software.
Publisher retires October 2026
Get a short guide to moving off Microsoft Publisher — opening your Publisher files online and creating new documents.