Open Publisher files on a Mac

Why the Mac cannot open it

Publisher has only ever been a Windows program. None of the apps that come with macOS read its format, and neither do Word for Mac or Pages. Converting the file is the quick way out, and it works the same in Safari, Chrome or Firefox because the conversion runs on our server, not on your Mac: an older Mac does the same job as a new one.

PDF for Preview, ODG for editing

The PDF is for reading, printing and forwarding. Preview opens it; from there you can print it, sign it with the Markup tools, or use File > Export to save a page as JPEG or PNG. The text stays selectable and the fonts are embedded, so the file looks the same on the Mac as on the recipient's phone.

The ODG is for changing something, like the date on a flyer or a name on a certificate. Install LibreOffice for Mac, which is free, open the .odg in Draw, make the change and export a new PDF.

LibreOffice for Mac can also open a .pub directly, with the same import library the converter uses. For one recent file that works well. The converter is faster for a folder of them, and it reads Publisher 97 and 98 files whose text was saved in Turkish, Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic or Central European code pages, which LibreOffice as downloaded can misread.

Mac-specific details

Safari opens "safe" downloads automatically and unpacks a ZIP as soon as it arrives, so the result shows up in Downloads as a folder instead of a .zip. That is expected: the folder holds the same files and subfolders.

To convert a whole folder, drag it from Finder onto the drop area. Its subfolders are kept in the download.

macOS includes Arial, Times New Roman and Georgia, so an ODG that uses those fonts looks right in Draw even without Office. Calibri and Cambria come with Microsoft Office; without it, Draw substitutes them.

How to do it

1. 1Drop .pub files below, or drag a folder from Finder. PDF and ODG are already selected.
2. 2Check page 1 of each file in the free preview.
3. 3Convert and download. Safari may unpack the ZIP into a folder in Downloads.
4. 4Double-click a PDF to open it in Preview; open an ODG in LibreOffice Draw to edit it.

Known pitfalls

• Safari's automatic unzip can make it look as though the ZIP is missing. Your files are in the new folder in Downloads.
• Linked text boxes may repeat the story in each box; the report flags those files.
• Pages and Keynote do not open ODG files. Use LibreOffice for editing and the PDF for everything else.
• Fonts without a same-width twin can reflow a line in the PDF; the report names them.

Questions