Substitute for Publisher

Use desktop Word for future bulletins, but first export the existing Publisher bulletin to PDF and open that PDF in Word instead of copying and pasting individual elements.

Preserve and convert the current bulletin

Complete this while Publisher is still available:

1. Open the .pub file in Publisher.
2. Select File > Save As.
3. Choose a storage location.
4. Set the file type to PDF, and select Save.
5. Keep both the original .pub file and the PDF as archive copies.
6. In desktop Word, select File > Open, choose the PDF, and select OK when Word offers to convert it.
7. Save the converted document as a Word document (.docx).

The PDF preserves the bulletin’s appearance for viewing and printing. The Word conversion makes its text editable, but complex positioning and graphics may move because Word optimizes the result for text editing rather than reproducing Publisher’s page layout exactly.^1^

Create a reliable Word version

Rather than repeatedly repairing the converted document, rebuild the bulletin once as a reusable template:

1. In Word, select File > New.
2. Search for program, newsletter, booklet, or brochure, and choose the closest layout.
3. For a folded bulletin created from a blank document:
   • Select Layout > Margins > Custom Margins.
   • Set Multiple pages to Book fold.
4. Use Layout > Columns for notices, readings, and announcements.
5. Use borderless tables for schedules, names, and recurring information. These are generally more stable in Word than freely positioned text boxes.
6. Put permanent information in the header or footer.
7. Select File > Save As, and save it as a Word Template (.dotx).
8. Each week, create a new document from that template and replace only the changing content.
9. Print a four-page test before the full batch to verify page order, folding, and two-sided printing.^2^

Important deadline

Publisher remains functional in Microsoft 365 until October 1, 2026; its removal then rolls out to subscribers. Support for perpetual Publisher 2021 ends October 13, 2026, although a perpetual installation can continue to be used without support. Convert important files before the applicable date. Microsoft specifically recommends Word for newsletters, programs, and folded-paper projects.^1^

If preserving the exact appearance matters more than future editing, retain the PDF and print from it. There is no direct Publisher-to-Word conversion guaranteed to preserve every layout element; third-party conversion tools are another option, but Microsoft does not support them.^1^

References

1. Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026
2. convert publisher to word file. Publisher is being abolished in October and I need to do the church bulletin in Word. - Microsoft Q&A