convert publisher to word file. Publisher is being abolished in October and I need to do the church bulletin in Word.

John Rippel 0 Reputation points
2026-09-13T14:45:06.2466667+00:00

i need to use a Publisher file in word. Publisher is being abolished in October and I need to do the church bulletin in Word.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Publisher | For home
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  1. Kai-H 26,760 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-14T09:24:00.45+00:00

    Hi, John Rippel

    A better long-term approach is to rebuild the bulletin once as a reusable Word template rather than trying to convert the Publisher layout.

    In desktop Word, select File > New, search for booklet, program, newsletter, or brochure, and choose the closest design. Word includes templates intended for folded, double-sided documents.

    If you prefer to start from a blank document:

    Select Layout > Margins > Custom Margins.

    Set Multiple pages to Book fold. Word will arrange the pages in the correct printing order.

    Use Layout > Columns for announcements, readings, and notices.

    Use borderless tables to keep service times, names, and weekly events aligned. Tables are usually more stable than freely positioned text boxes in Word.

    Add recurring information to the header or footer, then save the finished document as a Word Template (.dotx).

    Each week, open the template, replace only the changing text and pictures, and save it as a new document. Before producing the full batch, print four pages as a test to confirm the folding, page order, and two-sided printer setting.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-13T14:45:19.4033333+00:00

    Use one of these supported ways, depending on how much editing is needed in Word:

    1. Save the text from Publisher as a Word document
      • Open the Publisher file.
      • Select File > Save As.
      • Choose where to save it.
      • In Save as type, select the Word version. For current Word versions, select Word Document.
      • Select Save.
      What carries over:
      • Text
      • Font formatting such as font, size, style, underline, color, and effects
      What does not carry over:
      • Graphics
      • Columns
      • Full page layout
    2. If the bulletin layout matters, copy and paste the page or objects into Word
      • In Publisher, select the objects to copy. To select the whole page, click a blank area or the scratch area, then press Ctrl+A.
      • Right-click and select Copy.
      • Open the Word document.
      • Right-click where the content should go and select Paste.
      This pastes content in HTML format, which preserves formatting and text styles better for editing.
    3. If only a visual copy is needed, save the page as a picture and insert it into Word
      • This is useful if the bulletin should look the same.
      • Text and objects inserted this way cannot be edited in Word.
    4. For long-term access before October 2026
      • Convert important Publisher files before 10/1/2026.
      • If only viewing is needed later, save them as PDF.
      • If editing is needed later, one Microsoft-recommended path is Publisher to PDF, then open the PDF in Word.

    Important limitation:

    • Publisher cannot save the entire publication — including all text, graphics, and layout — into Word in one step.
    • Converted Word files are optimized for text editing, so the layout can vary from the original, especially if the bulletin has many graphics.

    For a church bulletin, the most practical approach is usually:

    • Try File > Save As > Word Document first for the text.
    • Then copy/paste any missing graphics or page elements.
    • If the layout breaks too much, convert to PDF first and open that PDF in Word.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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