Publisher to Canva

Overview

Microsoft Publisher will reach the end of it's life in October 2026. After this time, the program will no longer be available to Office 356 users, and clients will not be able to open or edit Publisher files.

If you are unable to open the Publisher program, the IT Help Desk can grant temporary access to your documents. 

Conversion

It is crucial to convert your Publisher files to PDFs so you can retain the information from the Publisher File. 

Save As

If you are able to open Publisher:

1. Open the Publisher File
2. Go to File -> Save as
3. Select a location
4. Click PDF as the file type
5. Click Save

Note: Information stored on the area surrounding the Publisher document will not be saved. 

Bulk Conversion

To convert an entire folder of Publisher files to PDFs, you must be able to open Publisher.

1. Place all Publisher files in a folder that is easily accessible. 
2. Download the attached file "Convert-PubFileToPDF.ps1."
3. Move the downloaded file to the folder containing the Publisher files.
4. Right-click the downloaded file and click "Open With", then Notepad.
5. Select File, then Save As. Keep the file name the same, but change the save as type to All Files. Make sure the file stays in the Publisher folder
6. Locate the file path for this folder. It should look like "C:\Users\ecieslewicz\Desktop\PubTest." Keep this information on hand.
7. Request a 30 minute Admin By Request session
8. In the Windows search bar, type "Windows Powershell"
9. In the right-hand panel, select "Run as Administrator"
10. Paste the following command into the PowerShell terminal: Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass
11. Press Enter
12. Type "Y"
13. In the Powershell command, type cd <Publisher folder path>.  Replace <Publisher Folder path> with the file path of the Publisher folder created in Step 4. The entire command will look like: cd C:\Users\ecieslewicz\Desktop\PubTest
14. Press Enter
15. Copy and paste the command: .\Convert-PubFileToPDF.ps1 -Filter Flyer.pub
16. Press Enter

Canva

Once the Publisher file has been converted to a PDF, you can upload the document into Canva for future edits. Please be aware, you will need a Canva license to complete the next steps. If you do not have a Canva license, you can request one by submitting a ticket or contacting the IT Help Desk.  

1. Go to canva.semo.edu
2. Sign in with your SEMO email and password
3. Click Create
4. Select Upload
5. Upload the PDF version of the Publisher file