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PUBExport

Convert a .pub file to editable SVG

When Publisher is gone, the question is not just "how do I open this" but "how do I keep editing it". SVG is the answer for layouts: each page becomes a vector file where every text line is still editable text and every shape is still a shape, which Inkscape (free), Illustrator, Affinity Designer and Canva all open.

Drop .pub files or a whole folder here

Converted in this browser tab. Nothing is uploaded.

No .pub file to hand?

The file you get

One .svg per page. Text is real text in its font, size and colour; pictures are embedded; shapes, lines and fills are vector paths. More than one page downloads as a ZIP.

Steps

  1. Drop the .pub file, several files, or a whole folder on the box above. Everything is read by JavaScript in this browser tab; the files never leave your computer.
  2. SVG is already selected.
  3. Click Convert and download, then open the SVG in your design app.

What carries over

  • Every text line as editable text
  • Shapes and lines as vectors
  • Pictures and clip art, embedded
  • Exact positions and page size

Good to know

  • Each line of a paragraph is its own text object, placed where the line fell. Editing a word works everywhere; re-flowing a whole paragraph is easier in Word (choose Word).
  • The page layout, text, fonts, colours, shapes, tables and pictures come across. Text that wraps around a picture, WordArt effects and some gradient styles are simplified. Fonts are replaced by open look-alikes with the same letter widths unless you have the original fonts installed.

Questions

Can I import it into Canva?
Yes. Canva imports SVG files as editable elements: upload the SVG under Uploads, then add it to a design.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The converter is compiled to WebAssembly and runs in this browser tab. Open DevTools, go to the Network tab and convert a file: nothing carrying your file goes out. After the page has loaded you can even disconnect from the internet and it still works.
Do I need Publisher installed?
No. The .pub file is read directly, without Publisher, Office or a Microsoft account. It works on Windows, Mac, Chromebook and Linux in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.

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