To convert a PUB file to PDF: if you still have a working copy of Microsoft Publisher (one bought outright, or a Microsoft 365 install that still launches), open the file and go to File then Export then Create PDF/XPS. This is the most accurate method. If you do not have Publisher, which is now the case for most Microsoft 365 subscribers, the Univik PUB Converter opens PUB files and saves them as PDF on Windows without Publisher installed, preserving the original layout. If you only need to read a PUB file and not turn it into a PDF, the free Univik PUB File Viewer opens it offline on Windows. For many files at once, the converter handles a whole folder in a single pass. The most common problem in any PUB to PDF conversion is font substitution shifting the layout. Embedding fonts before conversion prevents it.
Update, 1 October 2026: Publisher has left Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 subscribers can no longer open .pub files in Publisher, so the Publisher export method below now works only if you still have a working copy. Everyone else can use the Univik PUB File Converter, which creates PDFs from PUB files on Windows with no Publisher needed. Nothing has deleted your .pub files, so you can take your time to choose.
Why Convert PUB files to PDF
Converting Publisher to PDF is the most reliable way to share a .pub file. A PUB file only opens cleanly in Microsoft Publisher, so sending one to a client, a printer or a colleague without Publisher leaves them unable to open it. They can at least Open PUB files Online to view it before you send a converted PDF. PDF solves that. It opens on any device, locks your layout in place and is the format commercial printers ask for.
PDF is also the format Microsoft recommends for long-term access to Publisher content. That recommendation carries more weight now because of what happened on October 1, 2026.
What Changed for Microsoft Publisher in October 2026
Microsoft has retired Publisher. On October 1, 2026, Publisher reached end of life in Microsoft 365. Subscribers can no longer access the app or open and edit .pub files in it. Microsoft had told users to convert their files before then, and that window is now closed. The .pub files themselves are safe and sit wherever you stored them, whether on your computer, a USB stick, OneDrive or SharePoint.
Support for perpetual Publisher 2021 and Publisher LTSC 2021 ends on October 13, 2026. Publisher 2019 and 2016 already left support on October 14, 2025. If you have a perpetual licence, the app can still be installed and used. You only lose updates and support. If you relied on a Microsoft 365 subscription, move your PUB files into a durable format now. PDF is the safest target for anything you need to view or print. For files you need to keep editing, see our guide on converting Publisher to Word and the full Publisher end of life guide.
If Publisher still opens for you, export now
Microsoft recommended converting your files before October 1, 2026. Some Microsoft 365 copies may still open for a short time with a “Publisher is retiring” banner, but nobody can say how long that lasts. Treat it as borrowed time. If you have PUB files worth keeping and Publisher still opens, export them to PDF today, even if you do not need the PDFs yet. If it no longer opens, use a converter that does not need Publisher. For the full picture of what happens to PUB files after 2026, see our dedicated guide.
“The mistake we see most often is people converting a whole folder of PUB files in a hurry without checking the output, and that hurry is common now that Publisher has left Microsoft 365. Then a printer rejects the file because the fonts were substituted and the spacing shifted. PDF conversion is easy. PDF conversion that a commercial printer will accept is where the detail matters. Embed your fonts, check the first page against the original and only then run the rest.”
Nick Rogers
|Founder, Univik, building file conversion tools since 2013
Convert PUB to PDF with Microsoft Publisher (If You Still Have It)
Use this method only if Publisher is still on your PC and opens files. That means a version you bought outright (2021, 2019 or 2016) or a subscription install that has not been retired yet. If Publisher no longer opens, go to converting without Publisher below. If you do have it, exporting is the most accurate way to convert a PUB file to PDF. The Publisher to PDF export uses the application’s own engine, so it knows exactly how the file should look and the PDF matches the original.
Open the PUB file in Microsoft Publisher. Then click the File tab in the ribbon.
Click Export then Create PDF/XPS Document then Create PDF/XPS. A save dialog opens.
Choose your quality before saving. Click Options. For print, select High quality printing or Commercial Press and confirm fonts are embedded. For email or web, Minimum size keeps the file small. Click OK then Publish.
The Commercial Press setting embeds fonts and keeps images at full resolution. Use it for anything going to a professional printer. The Minimum size setting downsamples images and suits email but not print. If it is only the pictures you need, you can instead extract the images from the PUB.
Convert a Publisher file to PDF without Publisher
You can convert a Publisher file to PDF without Publisher installed using the Univik PUB Converter. It runs offline on Windows, opens PUB files directly and saves them as PDF while preserving the original layout, fonts and images. No Publisher installation is required, so it works now that Publisher has left Microsoft 365. It runs on Windows only; on a Mac, follow the steps for handling PUB files on macOS.
Download and install the Univik PUB Converter on your Windows machine. It runs locally, so your files never leave your computer.
Add your PUB file or a folder of PUB files. The converter reads the Publisher format and displays the document ready for conversion.
Select PDF as the output format and convert. The converter saves each PUB file as a PDF with the layout intact. For the full feature set and download, see the PUB Converter page.
Why an offline converter matters for confidential files
Client contracts, internal financials and unpublished material should never be uploaded to an external server for conversion. A converter that runs locally on your own machine keeps the file on your computer from start to finish. It is also a route that still works for Microsoft 365 users who lost Publisher on October 1, 2026.
Batch Convert PUB files to PDF
Converting one PUB file to PDF is quick. Converting two hundred is a different problem. Opening each one by hand in Publisher and exporting it takes hours and invites mistakes. There are two reliable ways to convert PUB files in bulk.
Univik PUB Converter (no Publisher needed)
The Univik PUB Converter processes a whole folder of PUB files to PDF in a single pass. It does not depend on Publisher being installed, so it still handles volume now that Publisher has left Microsoft 365. Point it at a folder, select PDF and it converts every file while preserving each one’s layout.
PowerShell with an installed copy of Publisher
If you have Publisher installed and licensed, Microsoft’s own automation route, published as an example conversion script on its Publisher retirement page, is a PowerShell script that loops through a folder and exports each PUB file using Publisher’s engine. The core of the script calls the Publisher COM object:
$files = Get-ChildItem “C:\PubFiles” -Filter *.pub
foreach ($f in $files) {
$doc = $pub.Open($f.FullName)
$pdf = $f.FullName -replace ‘\.pub$’, ‘.pdf’
$doc.ExportAsFixedFormat([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Publisher.PbFixedFormatType]::pbFixedFormatTypePDF, $pdf)
$doc.Close()
}
$pub.Quit()
This requires a working Publisher install. Microsoft 365 subscribers lost Publisher on October 1, 2026, so the script now works only with a perpetual copy or a subscription install that still runs. Run it while you still have the app, or use the Univik PUB Converter, which has no such dependency.
How to Fix Layout and Font Problems
Font substitution ruins more PUB to PDF conversions than any other issue. When the converting tool does not have the exact fonts your PUB file uses, it swaps in a substitute. The substitute has different letter widths, so text reflows, line breaks move and your layout shifts.
Embed fonts before converting. In Publisher, the Commercial Press PDF preset embeds fonts automatically. A dedicated converter that preserves layout embeds fonts as part of the conversion. This is the single most effective fix.
Check page one against the original before converting the rest. Convert one file, open the PDF beside the original and compare the first page. If the fonts and spacing match, the settings are right. Only then convert the rest.
For print, use 300 dpi and avoid aggressive compression. Low-quality presets downsample images. Photos look fine on screen but blurry in print. Use a high-quality or commercial preset for anything going to a printer.
If a layout breaks badly, the tool could not read the PUB format properly. Use Publisher directly if you still have it, or a converter built specifically for the Publisher format, which reads the file structure accurately rather than approximating it.
Which PUB to PDF Method Should You Use
| Your situation | Best method |
|---|---|
| You still have a working Publisher, one or a few files | Export from Publisher |
| No Publisher (most Microsoft 365 users now) | Univik PUB Converter |
| Many files, no working Publisher | Univik PUB Converter (batch) |
| Many files, working Publisher installed | PowerShell script |
| Confidential or client files | Any offline method. Keep files on your own machine. |
PUB to PDF: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I convert a PUB file to PDF without Microsoft Publisher?
Yes. The Univik PUB Converter opens PUB files and saves them as PDF on Windows without Publisher installed, preserving the original layout. It also converts folders of PUB files in one pass for batch jobs.
Why does my converted PDF look different from the original PUB file?
Almost always font substitution. The converting tool did not have the fonts your PUB file uses and swapped in replacements with different letter widths, which shifts the layout. Embed fonts before converting. In Publisher, use the Commercial Press PDF preset. A converter that preserves layout embeds fonts as part of the conversion.
How do I convert hundreds of PUB files to PDF at once?
Use the Univik PUB Converter, which processes a whole folder of PUB files to PDF in a single pass without Publisher installed. If you have Publisher installed, you can also run a PowerShell script that loops through a folder and exports each file using Publisher’s engine.
Do my PUB files still open now that Publisher has retired?
Your PUB files are not deleted, but since October 1, 2026 Microsoft 365 subscribers can no longer open them in Publisher. If you have a perpetual licence (Publisher 2021, 2019 or 2016), the app keeps working without updates or support. Support for Publisher 2021 ends on October 13, 2026. Without a working copy, open your files in a free PUB viewer or convert them to PDF with an offline converter that does not need Publisher installed.
Is it safe to convert confidential PUB files to PDF?
Only with an offline method. A converter that runs locally on your own machine keeps the file on your computer from start to finish, which matters for client contracts, financials and unpublished material. Uploading sensitive files to an external server for conversion exposes them to that server.
Does converting PUB to PDF keep the file editable?
No. PDF is a fixed-layout format designed for viewing and printing, not editing. If you need to keep editing the content, converting to Word or another editable format is a different process. PDF is the right choice when you need the document to look identical everywhere and stay locked.
Converting PUB to PDF: Summary
For a single file, if you still have a working copy of Publisher, export directly from Publisher using File then Export then Create PDF/XPS. It is the most accurate route. Without Publisher, which now includes most Microsoft 365 subscribers, the Univik PUB Converter opens and converts PUB files to PDF on Windows while keeping the layout intact. It converts whole folders in one pass for batch jobs.
Whatever method you pick, embed your fonts and check the first page against the original before converting the rest. That one habit prevents the layout shifts that cause most rejected print jobs. And once you have a clean PDF, you can convert it to an ePub for e-readers.