How to convert a .pub file to PDF.

Start with the files you can still open

If Publisher still opens on your PC, use it to make a PDF before you lose access. Open one .pub file, choose File, then Export or Save As, and select PDF. For something you intend to print, choose the higher quality output in the PDF options. Save the PDF beside the original, with a name that makes the pair easy to recognize.

Microsoft 365 subscribers have until 1 October 2026 to use Publisher. Owners of one-off versions can keep using their copy after support ends on 13 October, though it will no longer receive fixes. The full guide to your .pub files explains both dates and the options after them.

Export a folder with Publisher

For more than a few files, opening each document by hand becomes slow and easy to lose track of. Microsoft offers a sample script that exports a folder of .pub files to PDF. It needs Publisher installed and licensed on the computer where it runs. Follow the instructions linked from Microsoft's Publisher retirement announcement, test it on a copy of a small folder, and check the PDFs before running it on the rest.

Keep the folder structure and original names. If a script reports a failed file, write down its path rather than silently skipping it. A PDF is useful for reading and printing, but it does not replace the editable .pub original.

What if Publisher is already unavailable?

Some office or drawing programs import .pub files and can then export PDF. Try a simple file and a difficult one before trusting a whole archive. Text can shift when a font is missing, linked text boxes may be read in the wrong order, and tables or old clip art can change. An online converter is another route for a single file, but it requires an upload to someone else's server and may limit file size or quantity.

For private newsletters, membership lists, school documents or client material, decide whether an upload is acceptable before using an online service. If it is not, choose a local conversion method or ask a person who still has Publisher to export the files on a trusted computer.

Convert locally with PUB Rescue

PUB Rescue is a Windows app in development. It reads .pub files itself, so it does not require Publisher, and converts a file or a whole folder on your computer. It writes PDFs and PowerPoint files with editable text into a new folder while leaving the originals untouched. A report for each file identifies anything that did not come across exactly, including missing fonts, effects and text that did not fit.

The app is still on a waitlist; it cannot be bought or downloaded yet. When it is available, you will be able to try the PDF output with a watermark on your own files. The PowerPoint output is part of the licensed editions.

Check the PDF before relying on it

First compare the page count and page size with the Publisher document. Then scan the first and last pages and any page with dense text, tables, unusual fonts or images. Look for text outside its box and for blank spaces where an image should be. If a story continues through linked boxes, read the transition and make sure no paragraph is repeated or missing.

A PDF can look fine at thumbnail size while hiding a clipped sentence. Zoom in on small print and page edges. If a font was substituted, check where lines wrap and whether headings still fit. For PUB Rescue output, read the report alongside the PDF so you know which pages deserve extra attention.

Keep an archive you can revisit

Do not delete the .pub files once the PDFs are made. They are the original documents and may be useful if you find a better way to convert them later. Store the originals and PDFs in corresponding folders, keep a separate backup, and record the tool and date used for conversion. This makes it easier for a colleague to understand the archive years from now.

If you need to change the text rather than simply read or print it, see how to convert .pub to editable PowerPoint.

For a very large archive, the folder conversion guide covers inventory, testing and checking results.