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Microsoft Publisher 2021 running on Windows 10
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| Developer(s) | Microsoft | ||||||||
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| Initial release | 1991; 33 years ago (1991) | ||||||||
| Stable release(s) | |||||||||
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| Operating system | Microsoft Windows | ||||||||
| Type | Desktop publishing software | ||||||||
| License | Trialware | ||||||||
| Website | products | ||||||||
Microsoft Publisher is a desktop publishing application from Microsoft, differing from Microsoft Word in that the emphasis is placed on page layout and graphic design rather than text composition and proofreading. It is planned for discontinuation in October 2026.[5]
Publisher is included in higher-end editions of Microsoft Office, reflecting Microsoft's emphasis on the application as an easy-to-use and less expensive alternative to the "heavyweights" with a focus on the small-business market, where firms do not have dedicated design professionals available to make marketing materials and other documents.[6][7] However, it has a relatively small share of the desktop publishing market, which is dominated by Adobe InDesign and formerly by QuarkXPress.[6]
While most Microsoft Office apps adopted ribbons for their user interface starting with Microsoft Office 2007, Publisher retained its toolbars and did not adopt ribbons until Microsoft Office 2010.[8]
On February 15, 2024, Microsoft announced that Publisher will be discontinued on October 13, 2026.[9][10] After this date, Publisher will no longer be included in Microsoft 365 plans, and existing on-premises installations will no longer be supported. This date will mark the end of Publisher as a standalone Microsoft program since its initial release in 1991.
Several applications can import Publisher's proprietary file format (.pub) for editing with some success, including Collabora Online,[11] LibreOffice,[12] and Scribus.[13] Another option is to save the document as a separate EPS file for each individual page in the publication, and to then open the EPS files in the aforementioned applications or other applications.[14]
Publisher supports some other file formats, including Microsoft's Enhanced Metafile (EMF) format, which is supported on Windows platforms. The Microsoft Publisher trial version can be used to view .pub files beyond the trial period.[15][16]
Adobe PageMaker also saved files with a .pub extension, but the two file formats were unrelated and incompatible.
| Name | Version number | Release date[17] | Editions of Microsoft Office included in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Publisher | 1.0 | Late 1991 (approx.) | — |
| Microsoft Publisher | 2.0 | Jul 12, 1993 | — |
| Publisher for Windows 95 (beginning to transition to 32-bit) | 3.0 | Aug 24, 1995 | — |
| Microsoft Publisher 97 | 4.0 | Oct 21, 1996 | Small Business Edition |
| Microsoft Publisher 98 (first fully 32-bit) | 5.0 | Mar 23, 1998 | Small Business Edition 2.0 |
| Microsoft Publisher 2000 | 6.0 | Jun 7, 1999 | Small Business Edition, Professional, Premium, Developer |
| Microsoft Publisher 2002 | 10.0[a] | May 31, 2001 | Professional OEM, Professional Special Edition |
| Microsoft Office Publisher 2003 | 11.0 | Oct 21, 2003 | Small Business, Professional, Professional Plus, Enterprise |
| Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 | 12.0 | Jan 30, 2007 | Small Business, Professional, Ultimate, Professional Plus, Enterprise |
| Microsoft Publisher 2010 | 14.0[b] | Jun 15, 2010 | Standard, Professional, Professional Plus |
| Microsoft Publisher 2013 | 15.0 | Jan 29, 2013 | Professional, Professional Plus, Standard (volume licensing), all Office 365 / Microsoft 365 Apps editions |
| Microsoft Publisher 2016 | 16.0 | Sep 22, 2015 | |
| Microsoft Publisher 2019 | Sep 24, 2018 | ||
| Microsoft Publisher 2021 | October 5, 2021 | Microsoft 365 Apps for business and Business Standard editions[19] |
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