Alte Layouts weiternutzen: Aus für MS Publisher - weiter mit LibreOffice oder Scribus

Microsoft recently announced that it will discontinue support for its desktop publishing software, Publisher, effective mid-October. The company advises users to save their old Publisher documents as PDFs or convert them to the docx format. However, these are not the only or necessarily the best options for those who still rely on Publisher templates to create regular print publications like posters or calendars, or to generate email newsletters.

The Document Foundation, which develops the free and open-source office suite LibreOffice, explains that converting complex files to docx can distort formatting. Consequently, LibreOffice developers have recreated the pub format so that it can now be opened, saved, and edited in LibreOffice Draw as an open OpenDocument Format (ODF) file.

While simple or intricate layouts, LibreOffice Draw may eventually reach its limits due to its nature as a graphics program rather than a desktop publishing application. Nevertheless, handling smaller multi-page documents, such as newsletters or single-sided documents in any format, is straightforward. As an open-source alternative for more complex layouts, the Document Foundation recommends the free and open-source desktop publishing program Scribus, which is available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, but does not use a standard file format.