Convert a Publisher design to PDF to share online
If you've created a flyer, poster, or newsletter in Publisher and need to share it, converting it to PDF with Zamzar means anyone can open it, regardless of what software or device they're using. The PDF keeps your design intact and is ready to email or upload straight away.
Why share a Publisher design as a PDF rather than a PUB file?
Sharing a Publisher design online or in an email is awkward when the file is a PUB, because most platforms and inboxes can't display it. Converting your PUB to PDF with Zamzar gives you a file that opens reliably on virtually any device, without the recipient needing Publisher installed.
PDF works particularly well for documents you want to circulate widely, such as a community newsletter, a club membership form, or a promotional flyer you're attaching to an email. The layout stays intact, and anyone can open it in a browser or a free PDF reader.
Zamzar user Peggy Meyer had a similar goal when she needed to post something on Facebook: “I want to advertise something on Facebook and a picture is the easiest to post. Took me less than a minute to have the format changed. Zamzar is always my go to site.” If you're posting to a site or platform that accepts PDF uploads, the same logic applies. Upload your PUB file to Zamzar, download the converted PDF, and you've got something you can attach, post, or share straight away, with no software installation required on your end or the recipient's.
Share your design with anyone, not just Publisher users
PUB files can only be opened by people who have Publisher installed, which rules out most people on Macs, most people on the latest Microsoft 365 plans, and anyone using Linux or ChromeOS. Converting your design to PDF with Zamzar means anyone you share it with can open it instantly in a browser or standard PDF viewer, without needing any special software.
Make sure your design looks right on any device
PDF fixes your layout in place, so the fonts, spacing, and images look the same whether the recipient opens it on a Windows PC, a Mac, an iPhone, or a tablet. That reliability is what makes PDF the standard format for sharing design work, and it's why a PUB file converted to PDF will look just as you intended it to.
Email the PDF or post it online without extra steps
Once your PUB file has been converted to PDF, you can attach it to an email, upload it to a website, or share it via a cloud storage link with no further conversion needed. PDF is accepted by almost every email platform, file-sharing service, and content management system, so there's no extra hurdle between converting and sharing.
Share your design without letting others change it
When you share a PUB file, the recipient could potentially open and edit it if they have Publisher. A PDF, on the other hand, is a fixed document that displays correctly but isn't straightforward to edit without specialist software. Sharing the PDF instead of the PUB file keeps your design intact and in the form you intended.
Frequently asked questions
Can I share a Publisher design on social media?
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram work best with image formats like JPG rather than PDF, so if you want to post your Publisher design online you'd need to convert it to JPG instead. Zamzar can do that conversion too if you need an image version for social media.
Will the PDF be too large to email after converting?
Most Publisher designs convert to PDFs that are well within typical email attachment limits. If your Publisher file has lots of high-resolution images and the PDF is too large to attach, sharing via a cloud storage link is the most practical alternative.
Will the recipient need any special software to open the PDF?
No, PDFs open in any browser, in Apple Preview on Mac, in Adobe Reader, and in most built-in phone PDF viewers, so your recipient won't need to install anything to read your design. It's one of the reasons PDF is the standard format for sharing documents.
Should I keep the original PUB file after creating the PDF to share?
Yes, it's worth keeping the PUB file if you think you'll need to update the design later, since the PDF is a fixed version rather than an editable one. Having the source file means you can make changes and produce an updated PDF without starting from scratch.
Can I add a password to the PDF so only certain people can open it?
Zamzar's conversion produces a standard PDF, and adding password protection would be a separate step using a PDF editor or password tool after the conversion. If security is important for your shared document, it's worth doing that before you distribute the file.
How should I name the PDF when I share it with clients?
Including the project name and the date in the filename, such as 'event-poster-march-2025.pdf', makes it easy for clients to identify and save the file. A clear filename also helps if the client needs to find it again later among other attachments.
Will the PDF look right when printed by the recipient?
PDFs are designed to print consistently, so the recipient's printed version should match what you see on screen. For print-specific concerns like bleed and crop marks, there's a separate page for converting Publisher files to print-ready PDFs.
Can I share the PDF on Google Drive or Dropbox after converting?
Yes, the PDF produced by Zamzar is a standard file you can upload to any cloud storage service and share via a link. This is especially useful if the PDF is too large to send as an email attachment.
Will the hyperlinks in my Publisher document work in the shared PDF?
Hyperlinks in a Publisher file are generally preserved in the converted PDF, so recipients can click through to websites or email addresses as the sender intended. Very complex interactive elements may not always translate, but standard web links usually come through.
Can I convert multiple Publisher files to share as a set of PDFs?
Yes, Zamzar supports batch conversions so you can convert several PUB files at once and share the resulting PDFs together. The exact number of files you can convert in one batch depends on your account plan.