How Do You Convert a Publisher File to PDF?
You convert a Publisher file to PDF by adding the .pub file to QuickCatPDF's Publisher to PDF converter and clicking Convert to PDF. You don't need Microsoft Publisher installed: the file is read on our server and saved as a PDF that opens on any device.
It's free, with no sign-up and no watermark, and it handles up to 10 Publisher files at a time.
How to Convert PUB to PDF With QuickCatPDF
Converting a Publisher file takes four steps.
- Click Select Publisher files or drop your .pub files on the page.
- Choose the Image quality if you want a smaller file.
- For several files, choose Separate PDFs or One combined PDF.
- Click Convert to PDF, then download each PDF, the ZIP or the combined PDF.
Why Convert Publisher Files to PDF Now?
Microsoft ended support for Publisher on October 1, 2026. Microsoft 365 subscribers can no longer open or edit .pub files in Publisher, and Microsoft's own advice is to save them as PDF to keep viewing them. Copies of Publisher bought with a one-time licence still run, but get no more updates.
That leaves many newsletters, flyers, menus and certificates in a format fewer people can open. A PDF opens in every browser and on every phone, prints exactly, and is the format Microsoft recommends for keeping these files.
Why Use QuickCatPDF for Publisher Files?
QuickCatPDF reads Publisher files with an open-source importer built into LibreOffice, so you can convert without any Microsoft software. In our test, a two-page Publisher file converted in under 2 seconds.
The tool also refuses files it can't read properly rather than producing a page of garbage: two damaged test files were stopped with a clear message. Your files travel over HTTPS and are deleted as soon as the conversion ends; the PDF is deleted right after download.
How Accurate Is the Conversion?
Text, pictures, shapes and text boxes come through in their places for most everyday publications. Complex designs can shift a little, for example text that wraps tightly around a picture, special effects such as shadows, or fonts that aren't on our server. That's why the page reminds you to check the result.
If an important file doesn't come out right and you still have Publisher on any computer, use File, Save As, PDF there for an exact copy. For later edits, Microsoft suggests opening that PDF in Word.
What Can You Do With the PDF?
Once your publication is a PDF, the rest of the site's tools work on it. Turn pages into images for social media with PDF to JPG, put several flyers together with Merge PDF, or stamp a draft mark with Add Watermark to PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open a PUB file without Publisher?
Yes, convert it here and open the PDF in any browser or PDF reader. You can't edit the layout in the PDF the way you could in Publisher.
Is Publisher to PDF free?
Yes, free with no sign-up and no watermark, for files up to 50 MB.
Are my files kept?
No, the .pub file is deleted when conversion ends and the PDF right after your browser downloads it. Nothing is kept more than 1 hour, and files are never opened by people.
Which Publisher versions work?
The importer reads most everyday Publisher files. Files it can't read reliably, such as damaged ones, are refused with a message instead of producing a broken PDF.
What else converts here?
Word, PowerPoint and Excel files convert with the Word to PDF, PowerPoint to PDF and Excel to PDF tools.
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