Quick answer: open the .pub file in Free Pub Editor (free, in your browser), choose File → Export and click PNG pictures, High-resolution PNG or JPEG pictures. Each page downloads as its own picture. Use PNG for anything with lots of text, JPEG for photo-heavy pages or small email attachments.
Why turn a .pub file into a picture?
A PDF is best for printing, but plenty of places only take pictures:
- Facebook and Instagram posts for a fair, quiz night or sports registration.
- School and club apps where notices are shared as an image.
- Email and messaging, so people see the flyer straight away instead of opening an attachment.
- Websites, where a picture of this week's newsletter cover links to the full PDF.
If Publisher is no longer on your computer (Microsoft began removing it for Microsoft 365 subscribers from 1 October 2026; see the retirement dates), you can still do all of this from the .pub file.
How do I export a .pub file as a JPG or PNG?
- Open Free Pub Editor and click Open, then choose your .pub file. It's read on your device and never uploaded.
- Check the pages and fix anything that's out of date, such as a date or price.
- Choose File → Export.
- Under Pages, pick All pages, Current page or a Custom range such as
1-3, 5. - Click the format you want. The pictures download one per page, named after your publication with the page number on the end.
It works in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox, on Windows, Mac, Chromebooks and Linux. Files from Publisher 2002 up to Publisher 2021 and Microsoft 365 open with their layout. If something looks different from what you remember, see why a .pub file can look wrong.
Which format should I choose?
| Export option | Best for | Good | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PNG pictures (150 dpi) | Social media, websites, school apps | Crisp text and sharp edges | Bigger files than JPEG |
| High-resolution PNG (300 dpi) | Printing the picture elsewhere, zooming in | Twice the detail in each direction | Large files; often more than a website needs |
| JPEG pictures | Email, messaging, photo-heavy pages | Smaller files | Can look slightly soft around small text |
| Printing, multi-page newsletters | Exact page size, text stays sharp at any zoom | Not accepted as a post on most social platforms |
Not sure? Start with the 150 dpi PNG. It's the safe choice for a flyer or notice that's mostly text. For printing, a PDF is better than any picture: see how to convert .pub to PDF.
How big will the pictures be?
The pixel size depends on your page size and the dpi you choose. For a few common pages:
| Page size | At 150 dpi | At 300 dpi |
|---|---|---|
| A4 (210 × 297 mm) | about 1240 × 1754 px | about 2480 × 3508 px |
| A5 (148 × 210 mm) | about 874 × 1240 px | about 1748 × 2480 px |
| Square (210 × 210 mm) | about 1240 × 1240 px | about 2480 × 2480 px |
These are simple arithmetic (millimetres ÷ 25.4 × dpi), so your exact numbers may differ by a pixel or two.
What size works for Instagram?
Instagram's help centre says to upload "at the best resolution possible (up to a width of 1,080 pixels)", and that it keeps photos whose shape is between 1.91:1 (wide) and 3:4 (tall) (Instagram Help).
That matters because an A4 page is taller than 3:4, so Instagram will crop it. Two easy fixes:
- Make a square or 4:5 version. In Page Design → Size, choose Square or Custom size… (for example 160 × 200 mm, which is 4:5), rearrange the boxes, and export a PNG. Save it as a separate copy so your print version stays as it is.
- Post the A4 picture to Facebook instead, or use a carousel of cropped sections.
We haven't listed Facebook sizes here because they vary between posts, events and cover photos. Check Facebook's own help pages for the spot you're posting to.
How do I share a multi-page newsletter as pictures?
Export all pages as PNG and you'll get one picture per page, numbered in order. Most social platforms let you add several pictures to one post, so readers can swipe through. For a long newsletter, though, a PDF on your website or in the school app is usually easier to read. A good pattern is to post page 1 as a picture with a link to the full PDF.
Tips for pictures that look good on phones
- Make the key facts big. Most people will see your flyer on a phone screen. Date, time and place should be readable without zooming.
- Check contrast. Pale text on a photo can disappear once a platform compresses the picture.
- Avoid tiny print. Terms and conditions in 7 pt text won't survive. Put them in the post caption instead.
- Keep the original. Pictures can't be edited like a publication. Keep the .pub file, and use File → Save to keep an editable .fpe copy with your changes.
Can I convert lots of .pub files to pictures at once?
Not with Free Pub Editor: it works one file at a time. If you have a whole folder to deal with, see how to convert a folder of old .pub files.