Convert Publisher pages to JPG

When JPG is the right choice

JPG compresses photographs very well, so a page that is mostly pictures, such as a photo calendar, a brochure or a yearbook spread, comes out much smaller than as PNG, with no difference you can see at normal size. Pages are saved at quality 90, high enough that compression marks are hard to spot in photos.

Its weak spot is sharp edges. Around black text on white, JPG leaves faint speckles that show when you zoom into small print. For a page that is nearly all text, such as a price list or a certificate, PNG is cleaner. For a mixed page, JPG at 300 DPI keeps the text acceptable, because every letter gets more pixels to hold its shape.

Sizes for sharing

At 150 DPI an A4 page is about 1240 × 1754 pixels, enough to read a whole page on a phone. Messaging apps and social networks usually shrink large photos when you send them, so 300 DPI mostly adds upload time there. Use 300 DPI when the page will be printed as a photo, or when someone needs to zoom into fine print.

A JPG has no transparency and no layers. The page is flattened into a single picture on a white background, which is what most people sending a flyer or an invitation want.

Folders and names

Each page gets its own numbered file: menu_p001.jpg, menu_p002.jpg and so on. Drop a folder or a ZIP of folders and the download keeps the same folders, so a year of monthly newsletters stays sorted by month.

How to do it

1. 1Drop .pub files, a folder or a ZIP below. JPG and 150 DPI are already set.
2. 2Check page 1 of each file in the free preview.
3. 3Switch to 300 DPI for printing, then convert.
4. 4Download the ZIP and send the pages as they are.

Known pitfalls

• Editing: a JPG cannot be edited as text. For that, convert to ODG.
• Saving a JPG again in an image editor loses a little quality each time; keep the downloaded files as your originals.
• Print shops usually want a PDF rather than page images; convert to PDF for printing.
• Fonts and linked text boxes behave as in the PDF: same-width twins keep line breaks, other fonts may reflow, and repeated text in linked boxes is flagged in the report.

Questions