Move from Microsoft Publisher to Scribus

Take it out

1. 1

   Step 1

   Find the .pub files

   Search the PC, OneDrive, and SharePoint for .pub. Microsoft's support page says that search is the way to find them.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Save a PDF before October 1, 2026

   Open the file in Publisher. Choose File, Save As, and pick PDF. Microsoft says Microsoft 365 subscribers cannot open the file in Publisher on or shortly after October 1, 2026.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Batch the pile only after one file works

   Microsoft's support page links a sample PowerShell script for many files. Test it on a copy of one folder. If a PDF name already exists, the script skips that file.

Put it in

1. 1

   Step 1

   Install Scribus and decide the page size

   Create a new document with the same trim size as the Publisher file. Do not expect File, Open on the .pub file to produce a finished layout.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Rebuild from the PDF

   Use the PDF as the picture of what the page should look like. Place text and images again. Master pages in Scribus cover a repeating header or footer.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Export a new PDF and compare

   Print both PDFs. Check margins, fonts, and any label sheet before you throw the Publisher file away.

What you lose

• The .pub file itself

  Scribus can import some Publisher files, and the layout often needs repair. LibreOffice Draw can open many .pub files with the same kind of gaps. Keep the PDF either way.

• Mail merge and data sources

  A Publisher mail merge does not become a Scribus data source. Rebuild the few merges you still send.

• Microsoft's template gallery

  Brochures, business cards, and calendars from Publisher's templates are not in Scribus. The content you typed is what you can carry over.