[insert picture]
In this newsletter:
📝 Post: What Should You Use After Microsoft Publisher Goes Away?
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: Tech Headlines
😎 Pick of the Week: Worth the Detour
📦 Featured Product: Advent Calendars
📝 What Should You Use After Microsoft Publisher Goes Away?
Perhaps an apologies is due for the lateness of this post. To be fair, Microsoft publisher isn’t something I use on a normal basis. However, recently, I’ve heard from a few of you that you’re not sure what to do once support is no longer offered from this product and looking for alternatives. So here you go!
For others who may not be aware, Microsoft publisher is a software that has been around years, allowing users to create flyers, bulletins, and more. It is a bit outdated as a product and will be discontinued this month as of writing. But don’t think just because you don’t use it now that you wouldn’t use one of the pieces of software I’ll mention below. A few of them may could even replace a photo editing tool you use.
The good news is you have plenty of alternative options which I will talk about. Let’s start with the first big question though - Can I still access my file files once a software is no longer supported? In short, yes you can. There are a few different programs that will let you open a .PUB file, including even Microsoft options. However, there are a few third-party options that might even be better, and there’s a list of free and alternate software that you may even prefer after using them, too. There may be a learning curve and you’ll have to get familiar with the software, but I promise there’s something you can use that will either be easier to use or offer more functionality for you.
If your dead set on using Microsoft Office (and Publisher), you can still buy the 2021 version relatively inexpensively. It will still work for a while, but at some point I can almost guarantee you the software will no longer work or at least work as intended. Not to mention, there will be security fails, and bugs as people find the issues in the code since Microsoft is no longer supporting it and patching it.
The site in question is called Stack Social. I’ve used it for years, and it is safe, secure, and legitimate. If you use my referral code, you will earn each of us $10 in credit after your first purchase. After creating an account, simply search for “Microsoft Office 2021” or use this link to go directly to it. You can purchase a single license for $30 for Mac or PC.
Side note: I mentioned App Sumo in a YouTube video a few years ago as a SaaS marketplace. Stack Social is a similar website, but they also sell hardware and more first party softwares. I also mentioned Stack Social specifically in my post How to Find Alternative Software for Personal or Business Use.
Also, remember - it’s not too late to ‘keep’ your Publisher files. You can simply save all of your files in a PDF format before fully switching softwares. If you have Adobe Acrobat, you could edit them there, but that would probably not let you have as much control as you would like or are familiar with.
The other software’s that will be suggested are essentially suggested based on how much control or design you would like to have. The most basic option is potentially something you already have access to if you were using Publisher. That being Microsoft Word. A quick trick to help using Word from publisher is to use ChatGPT or another LLM. Upload the previously saved PDF of your Publisher file, and ask the chatbot to convert it to a Word doc. It doesn’t always get it 100% perfect but it’s a good place to start and can do the heavy lifting. If you have a lot of Publisher files, Microsoft provides a PowerShell method for bulk-converting.
Another Microsoft option you may not consider is PowerPoint. We don’t typically think about PowerPoint as a program to make handouts and flyers, but if you change the aspect ratio of the presentation, it’s basically the same thing. Any presentation can be “printed” in full page slides, too - thereby giving you a powerful software you probably already know how to use. A pro tip here: there are tons of templates already available for Word and PowerPoint online, and as mentioned - LLMs can even help here, too!
The next option up is probably the most suggested alternative software that would be the least disruptive but also offer more properties and features - Canva. While it can function as a basic replacement for Publisher, there’s another advantage here. Canva can take the same design and quickly turn it into an Instagram post, presentation, digital sign, or something else entirely.
They also offer another piece of software called Affinity. This is actually a great alternative and the most direct copy of Publisher. It also has the other benefit of functioning as a photo editing platform. For either of these softwares, if you are a nonprofit or in the education space, you can also sign up for a free or discounted account.
One of the more advanced versions of Publisher would be through Adobe InDesign. This will give you way more control and is highly suggested if you’re using a multi page document and/or need more features not otherwise offered. Adobe products (and the Adobe Creative Cloud suite) would be one of the more pricier options and would require a monthly subscription, but they are the industry standard.
Then, we move into the Free and/or Open Sourced options available. I am familiar with these products, but have not used them. However, they always have positive reviews when researching. The two most popular are Scribus and Libre Office.
Other alternatives are in the open space world and include Scribus and LibreOffice. I’m not as familiar with these but a lot of people or online and suggest them and use them regularly.
Lastly, if you’re not sure if you have any publisher files on your computer, or you want to just double check - a simple search on your computer with “.PUB“ should surface any of these files. Then, you can open the file to see if you have Publisher installed or not, too. Assuming they open properly, now’s the time to save as a .PDF for future use!
Ultimately, there’s no single replacement for Publisher I can recommend for everyone. It depends on what you used it for and what you plan to do in the future. If Word and PowerPoint are sufficicnet and you already have access to those - roll with it! If not, try Canva or Affinity. If you need more professional tools - Adobe InDesign. And if you want something with more features but completely free and open source, check out Scribus or LibreOffice.
But whatever you do, at least backup your .PUB documents today!
🗞️ ICYMI: Tech Headlines
OpenAI launches Dots, its Muse competitor, then Pauses Training Most Capable Models After Sandbox Escape
Still running iOS 26? Update your iPhones, iPads, and Macs for this urgent security fix
ID verification giant IDScan confirms data breach with more than 150 million driver’s licenses stolen, but on the other hand, Your car and its mobile app are probably handing over all kinds of data to tech companies, too!
Amazon is launching colorful new Kindles — and a case with physical page-turn buttons
Meta’s VR Glasses Are Exactly What the Apple Vision Pro Should Have Been
“The refrigerator is dead”: Samsung’s AI fridges shut down after update, causes outrage
Starlink ‘Community Site’ Program Teases Hourly, Weekly Internet Passes
😎 POTW: Worth the Detour
These are the kinds of things that make you want to wander off the usual path and see familiar places a little differently.
📦 Featured Product
It’s only October, but Christmas will be here soon, and all the good deals will be too. But act fast, or they will be gone before you know it. Check out Jingle All the Way if you don’t get that reference. One of the products I saved to share is already out of stock, too! The 12 Days of Craftsman Advent Calendar is already one such item. Others genres or areas of interest include Golf, Beauty, LEGO, Fishing, Survival, and much more.
