Microsoft starts removing Publisher from Microsoft 365 in mid-November. How do you save your flyers and menus?
By Bilal Haider, Founder, Theepa Studio · · 4 min read
Short answer
Microsoft Publisher reached end of life in October 2026, and the Office update that removes it from Microsoft 365 starts on Current Channel in mid-November 2026, then on Monthly Enterprise Channel in early December. Once the update lands, you can no longer open your .pub files in Publisher, and most other apps can't open them either. Find every .pub file now, save the ones you need as PDF, and rebuild the ones you edit often as proper brand templates.
What is happening to Microsoft Publisher?
Microsoft has retired Publisher, its desktop publishing app for flyers, menus, brochures and newsletters. Its support page, updated on 27 October 2026, gives two dates:
- 1 October 2026: Publisher stopped being part of Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Microsoft says subscribers lose access "on or shortly after" that date, as the removal update rolls out.
- 13 October 2026: support ended for the perpetual (one-time purchase) version, when Office LTSC 2021 and Consumer Office 2021 reached end of support. Microsoft says you can still install and use a perpetual copy, but it gets no more updates.
The removal itself arrives through normal Office updates. Microsoft's Message Center post MC1469564, updated on 21 October 2026, says it starts with Version 2611: on Current Channel from mid-November 2026 and on Monthly Enterprise Channel from early December 2026. Until a device gets that update, Publisher may still open. Microsoft is clear that this "is not an extension".
So if Publisher still opens on your computer today, this is probably your last chance to export files with Publisher itself.
Will I lose my .pub files?
The files are not deleted. The problem is opening them. Computerworld notes that most other desktop publishing software can't open .pub files, and every conversion route Microsoft describes starts inside Publisher. Microsoft also says its sample bulk conversion script needs a working, licensed copy of Publisher. Once the app is gone, converting gets much harder.
How do I convert Publisher files before the update?
Microsoft's guidance comes down to this checklist:
- 1Find every file. Search for ".pub" on your PC, OneDrive and SharePoint, as Microsoft suggests. Check shared drives and old laptops too.
- 2Sort them into three piles: archive (old, view only), reuse (printed again with small changes) and rebuild (edited often).
- 3Save the archive pile as PDF. In Publisher: File, Save As, choose PDF, Save. A PDF keeps the layout for viewing, sharing and printing.
- 4For files you need to edit, open the PDF in Word. Microsoft warns the layout may differ from the original, so check every page.
- 5Export images where useful. Computerworld notes Publisher can also save pages as JPG, PNG and other image formats, which is handy for social posts.
- 6Keep the source assets. Copy the logo, photos and fonts used in each file into one folder. You need these to rebuild anything later.
Where should I rebuild Publisher documents?
| Option | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Word | Envelopes and labels (Microsoft's suggestion) | Complex layouts may shift |
| PowerPoint | Banners, signs and posters (Microsoft's suggestion) | Not made for multi-page print |
| Microsoft Create templates | Quick new layouts | You start from a template, not your file |
| Affinity | Print work with full layout control | Microsoft only says it "may be able to import" .pub files |
| LibreOffice Draw | Free one-off imports | Computerworld calls it "flaky" with complex layouts |
| Perpetual Publisher | Short-term access | No updates after 13 October 2026 |
Our advice: don't try to recreate every file one to one. The move is the moment to rebuild the few documents you actually reuse, properly.
Example: a café with a folder of Publisher menus
Take a hypothetical café in Dubai with 20 .pub files: a dine-in menu, a takeaway menu, a loyalty card, a few event flyers and a letterhead. A sensible order this week:
- 1Check whether Publisher still opens on the office PC. If it does, export everything to PDF today.
- 2Archive the old event flyers as PDF and stop there.
- 3Rebuild the two menus and the loyalty card, because they change with prices and seasons. Set them up once with the café's real fonts, colours and logo files, in a tool the team already uses.
- 4Write a one-page rule sheet: which logo version goes where, minimum sizes, and the colour codes for print.
If step 3 stalls because nobody can find the original logo files or fonts, that is a brand problem, not a Publisher problem. Our checklist of files you should get from a logo designer shows what a complete handover looks like, and our café and restaurant branding work covers menus and in-store print.
Is this a good time to fix the brand behind the files?
Often, yes. Publisher folders tend to hold years of small inconsistencies: three versions of the logo, approximate colours, stretched photos. If you are rebuilding templates anyway, build them on a clear system. A brand identity gives you the logo, colours, type and rules that every template inherits, and a free brand audit tells you whether your current assets are good enough to template as they are.
Sources
- Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026 (Microsoft Support, updated 27 October 2026)
- MC1469564: Microsoft Publisher, reminder that support ends in October 2026 (Microsoft 365 Message Center archive, updated 21 October 2026)
- Microsoft is pulling the plug on Publisher: what now? (Computerworld, 21 September 2026)
Bilal Haider
Founder, Theepa Studio
Bilal founded Theepa Studio in 2016. The studio has delivered more than 10,000 brand identities for companies in the US, UK and the GCC.
