Microsoft Publisher facts for kids
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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 | ||||||||
| Stable release(s) | |||||||||
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| Operating system | Microsoft Windows | ||||||||
| Type | Desktop publishing software | ||||||||
| License | Trialware | ||||||||
Microsoft Publisher is a computer program made by Microsoft. It helps you design and create cool things like flyers, brochures, newsletters, and greeting cards. Unlike Microsoft Word, which is mostly for writing text, Publisher focuses on how things look on a page. It's all about page layout and graphic design.
Microsoft has announced that Publisher will no longer be available after October 2026.
Contents
What is Microsoft Publisher?
Publisher is part of some Microsoft Office bundles. Microsoft made it as an easy-to-use and cheaper choice for small businesses. These businesses might not have special designers to create their marketing stuff.
Even though it's helpful, Publisher has a small part of the design software market. Other programs like Adobe InDesign are more widely used.
For a long time, Publisher looked different from other Microsoft Office apps. Most Office programs started using a "ribbon" menu system in 2007. Publisher kept its older toolbars until Microsoft Office 2010.
On February 15, 2024, Microsoft shared that Publisher will stop being available on October 13, 2026. After this date, it won't be in Microsoft 365 plans. Also, older versions installed on computers won't get support anymore. This marks the end of Publisher as its own program since it first came out in 1991.
Working with Publisher Files
Publisher saves your work in its own special file type, which ends with `.pub`. This is called a proprietary format, meaning it's mainly made for Publisher.
Some other programs can open and edit these `.pub` files. These include Collabora Online, LibreOffice, and Scribus. Another way to share your work is to save each page as a separate EPS file. Then, you can open these EPS files in other design programs.
Publisher also works with other file types, like Microsoft's Enhanced Metafile (EMF) format. This format is supported on Windows computers. If you have the trial version of Microsoft Publisher, you can still use it to view `.pub` files even after the trial period ends.
It's interesting to know that Adobe PageMaker also used to save files with a `.pub` extension. However, those files were completely different and couldn't be opened by Microsoft Publisher.
Publisher's Journey Through Time
Here's a look at how Microsoft Publisher has changed over the years:
| Name | Version number | Release date | Editions of Microsoft Office included in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Publisher | 1.0 | Late 1991 (approx.) | N/A |
| Microsoft Publisher | 2.0 | Jul 12, 1993 | N/A |
| Publisher for Windows 95 | 3.0 | Aug 24, 1995 | N/A |
| Microsoft Publisher 97 | 4.0 | Oct 21, 1996 | Small Business Edition |
| Microsoft Publisher 98 | 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 | 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 | 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 |
See also
- Comparison of desktop publishing software
- List of desktop publishing software
