Publisher to PowerPoint Conversion

Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026
First, do not uninstall the Desktop Publisher App if it is currently installed on your computer. Even if it is an older version than Office 365.

In my earlier post on Microsoft Publisher Retirement, I provided PowerShell scripts to export Publisher files to PDF, HTML, and individual image files.

Those exports are useful for archiving, but what if you need to continue editing the publication?

A more complete conversion process is now available at GitHub:

Dave3Young/PublisherToPPTX

This process converts Publisher .pub files into PowerPoint .pptx files, which can also be imported into Canva. Each Publisher page becomes a slide, with text boxes and pictures retained as separate editable elements where supported.

The purpose is to preserve both the page layout and the ability to make changes. A PDF is useful for viewing and printing, but an editable conversion provides a starting point for continuing to use an existing newsletter, flyer, or other publication.

How the conversion works

There are two stages:

1. Export from Publisher: PublisherPubToHtmlForPptx.ps1 uses the installed Publisher Desktop App to export filtered HTML and 300 dpi PNG pictures. It also records information that the HTML export alone does not preserve, including page dimensions, text formatting, paragraph positions, and line breaks.
2. Create the PowerPoint file: PublisherHtmlToPptx.ps1 runs the included Python converter to rebuild the exported publication as PowerPoint slides.

Both stages can process an individual publication or a folder tree containing multiple publications.

Use the Stage 1 script from this new repository. The PublisherPubToHTMLPNGfilesFinal.ps1 script linked in my earlier post does not record the additional page-size and text-layout information needed for the more accurate conversion.

What is retained?

The converter handles text formatting, picture placement, page dimensions, and many of the layout details that would otherwise require manual rebuilding.

It also includes handling for:

• Pictures grouped with text boxes, where the group can be separated into pictures and editable text.
• Some text boxes that Publisher exports as pictures, rebuilding them as editable text.
• Tables, recreated using separate boxes and text elements.
• Pictures and text in Publisher’s scratch area, placed on additional slides at the end.

The scratch-area slides can be omitted if they are not needed.

By default, the converter preserves Publisher’s line breaks to keep the original layout. An optional -Reflow setting allows text to wrap freely in PowerPoint, which can be more convenient when the wording will be changed.

What is required?

The conversion process requires:

• Windows 10 or Windows 11.
• Windows PowerShell 5.1, included with Windows.
• An installed, working copy of Microsoft Publisher for Stage 1.
• Python 3.9 or later, available on PATH, for Stage 2.

The Stage 2 PowerShell script checks for the required Python packages and installs them on the first run. Keep pubhtml2pptx.py in the same folder as PublisherHtmlToPptx.ps1.

If Windows blocks the downloaded scripts, the repository includes instructions for unblocking them.

Check the converted files

Do not assume that every converted publication will be an exact match.

Missing fonts or font substitutions can change the appearance. Some shapes and WordArt may be missing or remain pictures, and tables are not converted into native PowerPoint tables.

The repository includes separate tools to export the original Publisher pages and the converted PowerPoint slides as PNG files. These provide a practical way to compare the results page by page. A conversion report can also be generated to identify warnings.

Once the .pptx file has been created, it can be opened in PowerPoint or imported into Canva using Create a design > Import file. Check the imported version again, particularly for font substitutions and changed line breaks.

The scripts, examples, parameters, and known limitations are available here:

PublisherToPPTX – Download and Instructions

Keep backups of the original .pub files, and begin with a few representative publications before processing a larger collection.

These scripts are provided “as is,” without warranty or guarantee. Review the converted output before relying on it for printing or distribution.