Convert Hundreds of Publisher Files to PDF at Once
To batch convert .pub files to PDF, put them in one folder or ZIP, drop it on Omnvert's Publisher converter, check the free preview, and download one ZIP with every PDF, your folders intact and a report.
Prerequisites
- Your .pub files: loose files, a folder, or a ZIP of folders
- A desktop browser on Windows, macOS or Linux
- Omnvert Publisher Bulk Converter
- Optionally, a spreadsheet app to sort the CSV report
Step-by-step
- 1
Gather every .pub file into one folder
Before you open the bulk Publisher to PDF converter, collect the files in one top-level folder. Microsoft suggests searching for ".pub" on your PC, OneDrive and SharePoint to find them. Keep subfolders that mean something, such as years, clients or departments, because the result ZIP mirrors your folder structure. Leave shortcuts behind, and where the same file sits in two places, keep one copy.
- 2
Take out what does not belong
Anything in the folder that is not a Publisher file is left out and listed in the report as Skipped, with the reason, so a stray JPG or Word document does not stop the batch. Two things are worth fixing before you upload. A ZIP stored inside another ZIP is not opened, so unzip the inner one first. And vague names such as Document1.pub are easier to deal with if you rename them now, because the output files keep the original names.
- 3
Zip the folder, or drop it as it is
In a desktop browser you can drop the folder straight onto the page. A ZIP is handier for a large archive, or when the files live on another computer. On Windows 10, right-click the folder and choose Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder. On Windows 11 the right-click menu offers Compress to ZIP file (on some builds it sits under Compress to). On a Mac, Control-click the folder and choose Compress. One ZIP holding several folders is fine: the structure inside it is kept.
- 4
Upload and choose the outputs
Drop the files, the folder or the ZIP onto the converter, then pick what you need: a PDF for every file, one combined PDF of everything, PNG or JPG page images at 150 or 300 DPI, or ODG files you can keep editing in LibreOffice Draw. For an archive, a PDF per file plus the combined PDF is a sensible default. The individual PDFs sit in your original folders, and the combined one is quick to skim and search.
- 5
Check the free preview grid
Before any payment, the converter shows page 1 of up to 20 files. Treat it as a real spot check. Look at accented letters and non-Latin text, headings set in unusual fonts, text boxes that continue on another page, and pictures. Old Publisher 97/98 files are decoded with the code page of the PC that saved them, so Turkish, Greek or Cyrillic text should read correctly here; if something looks wrong, note the file name before you continue.
- 6
Convert and download the result
Start the conversion and download the ZIP when it is ready. Inside are your folders with the converted files in the same places, the combined PDF if you asked for it, and the report in two forms, report.csv and report.html. Download it soon: a bulk download nobody collects is deleted after 60 minutes, and outputs are deleted 15 minutes after you download them.
- 7
Read the report
Open report.html in a browser for a quick look, or report.csv in Excel, LibreOffice Calc or Google Sheets to sort and filter. Every file gets a row with its status (Converted, Failed or Skipped), page count, fonts used, fonts replaced, notes and output file. Sort by status first, then read the Notes column: that is where warnings about replaced fonts and stories that do not fit their last text box appear.
- 8
Fix the few files that fail
Match the fix to the note. Skipped as not a Publisher file: the extension may be wrong, so open it and check what it really is. Damaged or unreadable: try a copy from a backup or another folder. A story does not fit its last text box: usually a replaced font is wider than the original, so the end of the story is hidden; if you still have Publisher, export that one file from Publisher itself, otherwise open the ODG version in LibreOffice Draw and fix the ending there. Fonts replaced with a close design: fine for an archive, but compare line breaks on pages that matter. Then run only the fixed files again.
According to Microsoft's retirement notice, Microsoft 365 subscribers cannot access Publisher after 1 October 2026, and support for the perpetual version ends on 13 October 2026. Omnvert is not affiliated with Microsoft; Microsoft product names are used only to describe compatibility.
Ready to run your own archive? Open the Publisher to PDF batch converter and start with the free preview of up to 20 files. Nothing is charged for the preview.
What a large batch costs
Your first file each day is free, at full quality and without a watermark. After that the site's existing plans apply: a credit pack covers 3 files, a Day Pass gives you 24 hours, and Pro is the subscription. The free file and credits are meant for a few files at a time; for hundreds of files in one go, the Day Pass or Pro is the plan that fits. Current prices are shown on the converter page when you go past the free file.
Fonts in the output
Microsoft fonts are not on the conversion server, so each is replaced with an open font. Where a metric-compatible twin exists, every character keeps its width and line breaks stay exactly where they were. That is the case for Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New, Calibri, Cambria, Georgia, Arial Narrow, Segoe UI, Palatino and Book Antiqua, Bookman Old Style and Century Schoolbook.
Other fonts get a close design instead, and text may reflow a little: Garamond, Franklin Gothic, Gill Sans, Rockwell, Comic Sans and Century Gothic are common examples. The report names every replacement per file, so you can go straight to the files where it matters.
Old Publisher 97/98 files and non-Latin text
Publisher 97 and 98 did not store text as Unicode but in the Windows code page of the PC that saved the file. Read with the Western European code page, Turkish "Şirket Kaşığı" turns into "Þirket Kaþýðý". Omnvert detects the code page and decodes these files correctly, and the same goes for Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic and Central European text. In a mixed archive that spans three decades, this is often the difference between a usable PDF and one you have to retype.
Honest limits
- Complex layouts can shift, especially where objects overlap or text wraps tightly around pictures.
- Text that flows through linked text boxes (newsletter columns, "continued on page 2") is laid out box by box as in Publisher. LibreOffice cannot wrap text around a picture, so text that ran around one can end up behind it. Where a replaced font is wider than the original, the last box of a story can run out of room; as in Publisher, the rest is hidden, and the report names those files.
- WordArt effects and some embedded objects may be simplified.
When Publisher itself is the better tool
If you still have a perpetual Office licence with Publisher installed, exporting from Publisher (File > Save As, then PDF) gives the most faithful PDF, because the program that laid out the page also draws it. Microsoft also publishes a sample PowerShell script for bulk export, which needs a working, licensed Publisher on the same computer. The converter is for everyone who no longer has Publisher, has files on a Mac, or does not want to run scripts; for a few pixel-perfect files, use both.
Where the files go
Conversion runs on Omnvert's server with LibreOffice, inside an isolated container that has no network access. Outputs are deleted 15 minutes after download, originals within 120 minutes, and an unused bulk download after 60 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How many .pub files can I convert at once?
The free file and credit packs are for a few files at a time. For hundreds of files in one job, use the Day Pass or Pro. Either way you can drop loose files, a folder or a ZIP of folders.
Will my folder structure survive?
Yes. The result ZIP keeps the same folders and subfolders, with each converted file in the place of its original, plus the combined PDF and the report at the top.
Do I have to pay to see if it works?
No. The preview shows page 1 of up to 20 files before any payment, and your first full conversion each day is free with no watermark.
Which Publisher versions are supported?
Files from Publisher 97/98 up to the formats of Publisher 2010 and later versions have been tested. Very old files from the late 1990s are where the text decoding matters most, so check them in the preview.
What if text in linked boxes ends up behind a picture or is cut short?
Publisher can wrap text around a picture and LibreOffice cannot, so text that ran around a picture can end up behind it. Convert that file to ODG and move the picture or the text box in LibreOffice Draw. If a story is cut short, a replaced font was wider than the original and the last box ran out of room; the report names the file. Export it from Publisher if you still have it, or edit the ODG in Draw.