--- title: "Publisher to Canva: How to Move a .pub File Into Canva" description: "Canva can't open .pub files. Convert the Publisher file to a PDF or page images first, then import it into Canva. Free and paid routes, and what to expect." url: https://aretus.app/publisher-to-canva last_updated: 2026-11-03 site: Aretus --- # How to move a Publisher file into Canva > Canva can't open Microsoft Publisher .pub files, so moving one into Canva takes two steps. First turn the .pub file into a PDF, using free LibreOffice Draw, an online converter, or an old copy of Publisher. Then upload the PDF to Canva, which turns its pages into an editable design. Expect to fix some fonts and spacing. ## Import a Publisher file into Canva 1. **Turn the .pub file into a PDF.** Open the .pub file in free LibreOffice Draw and choose File > Export as > Export as PDF, or upload it to an online converter and download the PDF. If you still have Publisher, choose File > Save As and pick PDF. 2. **Upload the PDF to Canva.** On the Canva homepage, drag the PDF onto the page, or choose Upload, then Upload files, and pick the PDF. 3. **Open the imported design.** When the upload finishes, open the imported PDF. It opens in the Canva editor as a design. 4. **Check the text and fonts.** Click each text box. If a font was swapped, select the text and choose a different font from the toolbar. Nudge any boxes or pictures that moved. 5. **Keep it as your master copy.** Once it looks right, give the design a clear name. For each new issue, use File > Make a copy, so the master stays clean. ## Can Canva open a .pub file? No. Canva's [list of upload formats](https://www.canva.com/help/upload-formats-requirements/) covers images, video, audio, fonts, PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Photoshop, Illustrator and Affinity files, among others. Microsoft Publisher isn't on it, so dragging a .pub file into Canva won't work. One thing that trips people up: Canva does accept **.afpub** files. Those come from Affinity Publisher, a different program. Microsoft Publisher files end in plain **.pub**. So every route into Canva has the same shape: **.pub → PDF (or page images) → Canva**. Since Microsoft [retired Publisher in October 2026](https://support.microsoft.com/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7), the first step usually happens without Publisher. ## Which file should you bring into Canva? | You want to… | Bring in | What you get in Canva | |---|---|---| | Keep editing the design, or turn it into a reusable template | **PDF** | Pages rebuilt as a design. Text and pictures are often separate and editable, though fonts may change | | Reuse a page as it looks, with a few new words on top | **PNG or JPG** page image | A picture you can set as the page background. The words in it can't be edited | | Reuse only the words in a new Canva design | **Word file (.docx)**, text only | The text, ready to paste into a Canva template | Most people want the first row. The steps for it are above, and the details are below. ## Step 1: Turn the .pub file into a PDF ### Free: LibreOffice Draw Install [LibreOffice](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/) (free for Windows, Mac and Linux), open the .pub file, and it opens in Draw. Check the pages, then choose **File > Export as > Export as PDF**. That one PDF is all Canva needs. Our [LibreOffice guide](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-in-libreoffice) covers the layout problems to look for before you export. ### Our converter, with nothing to install The converter on this site turns each .pub file into a PDF, PNG and JPG images of every page (150 dpi), an editable ODG file for LibreOffice Draw, and a text-only Word file. That covers all three rows of the table in one go. You see a free, watermarked preview of every page for the first 10 files in a batch before you pay, and one clean file is free per email address. After that it's a one-time payment: $5 for up to 10 files, $15 for up to 60, $29 for up to 300, or $59 for up to 2,000. Only files that convert count, there's no account to create, and everything is deleted after 24 hours. See [pricing](https://aretus.app/pricing), or start on the [converter page](https://aretus.app/) to convert a .pub file to PDF. ### If you still have Publisher A one-time-purchase copy of Publisher (2016, 2019 or 2021), yours or a colleague's, makes the most faithful PDF. Choose **File > Save As**, pick **PDF**, and save ([Microsoft's steps](https://support.microsoft.com/office/save-as-or-convert-a-publication-to-pdf-or-xps-using-publisher-657332d0-d2c2-464a-9870-e9b3d22e6469)). ## Step 2: Import the PDF into Canva Drag the PDF onto the Canva homepage, or choose **Upload > Upload files**. You can also drop it straight into an open design. Canva's [PDF import help](https://www.canva.com/help/import-and-edit-pdfs-canva/) says it keeps the original layout as closely as it can. It also says what can go wrong: - **Fonts may change.** Fonts Canva doesn't support are replaced with similar ones. Select the text and pick a better match from the toolbar. - **Layouts may shift slightly.** Expect to nudge a few boxes and pictures. - **Scanned PDFs come in as one flat image**, so nothing on the page can be edited. A PDF made from the .pub file itself, by LibreOffice, Publisher or our converter, isn't a scan, so this mostly matters for old paper copies you scanned. - **There are size limits:** up to 500 pages, 300 MB, and 1,400 elements and images per PDF. Bigger or busier files may import incompletely. Canva's help pages don't fully agree on how editable an imported PDF is. The import page says text and images may be separated into editable elements. The upload-formats page says PDF pages become images in a document. In our own test in November 2026, a four-page newsletter PDF made by our converter came in as an editable design: the headline and the paragraphs we checked were text boxes with their fonts kept, and the photo was a separate image you could move or replace. Other PDFs may import differently, so after importing, click a headline and a paragraph to check before you plan around it. ## Using page images instead A PNG or JPG of the page is the quickest route when you only need to change a date, a time or a line or two, for example on a recurring flyer. 1. Upload the image to Canva and add it to a design. 2. Right-click it and choose **Set image as background** ([Canva's steps](https://www.canva.com/help/add-background/)). 3. Add new text boxes on top. To hide old words, put a plain shape over them in the background color. The words baked into the picture can't be edited, so this works best for small changes. For anything more, import the PDF. Our guide to [converting Publisher pages to PNG or JPG](https://aretus.app/pub-to-image) covers the image route in more detail. ## Turning a Publisher template into a Canva template If you make the same bulletin, newsletter or flyer every week or month, convert the template once and reuse it, rather than importing every old issue. 1. **Pick your cleanest issue.** Convert it to PDF and import it into Canva. 2. **Fix it once.** Choose fonts you'll keep, tidy the spacing, and clear out the text that changes each time. 3. **Name it as the master.** Something like "Weekly bulletin, master" makes it easy to find. 4. **Copy it for each issue.** In the editor, choose **File > Make a copy** ([Canva's steps](https://www.canva.com/help/duplicate-designs/)). The copy opens in a new tab and the master stays untouched. If the import needs too much fixing, start from one of Canva's own templates instead. Keep the converted PDF open beside it as a guide, and paste your text across. Canva also [imports Word files](https://www.canva.com/help/upload-formats-requirements/), so the text-only Word file from a conversion is another way to bring the words over. Church offices: our [church bulletins guide](https://aretus.app/church-bulletins-after-publisher) links a free Canva bulletin template. ## Keep your originals outside Canva Your Canva designs live in your Canva account, not as files on your computer. Before or after you move to Canva, keep the original .pub files and a PDF of each one in a folder you control: the office computer, a shared drive or a backup. If you have years of files, our [bulk conversion guide](https://aretus.app/bulk-convert-publisher-files) covers turning a whole archive into PDFs at once. ## Related guides - [Microsoft Publisher alternatives](https://aretus.app/microsoft-publisher-alternatives), including how Canva compares - [How to get a Publisher file into Google Docs or Slides](https://aretus.app/publisher-to-google-docs) - [How to open a .pub file without Publisher](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file) - [Converting Publisher pages to PNG or JPG](https://aretus.app/pub-to-image) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you convert a Publisher file to Canva directly? No. Canva's list of upload formats doesn't include Microsoft Publisher files, and there's no Publisher import in Canva. Convert the .pub file to a PDF first, then upload the PDF to Canva. ### Canva accepts .afpub files. Isn't that Publisher? No. A .afpub file comes from Affinity Publisher, a different program. Microsoft Publisher files end in .pub, and Canva doesn't accept those. ### Will the text be editable once it's in Canva? Usually, if you import a PDF. In our test, a newsletter PDF from our converter came in with its headline, paragraphs and pictures as separate, editable elements. Canva may swap unsupported fonts for similar ones. A scanned PDF comes in as one flat image, and the words inside a page image can't be edited. ### Can I turn my Publisher template into a Canva template? Yes, with some work. Import a PDF of your cleanest issue, fix the fonts and spacing, and clear out what changes each time. Keep that as your master and use File > Make a copy in Canva for each new issue. ### How big a PDF can Canva import? Canva's help page says up to 500 pages and 300 MB, with up to 1,400 elements and images. Larger or busier files may import incompletely. Most bulletins and newsletters are far below that. ### Should I move my whole archive of .pub files into Canva? Usually not. Keep old issues as PDFs in a folder you control, and bring into Canva only the templates you'll keep using. That way your archive doesn't depend on one online account. ## Sources 1. [Canva Help: Check file upload formats and requirements](https://www.canva.com/help/upload-formats-requirements/) 2. [Canva Help: Import and edit PDFs in Canva](https://www.canva.com/help/import-and-edit-pdfs-canva/) 3. [Canva Help: Add a background](https://www.canva.com/help/add-background/) 4. [Canva Help: Duplicating designs](https://www.canva.com/help/duplicate-designs/) 5. [Microsoft Support: Save As or convert a publication to .pdf or .xps using Publisher](https://support.microsoft.com/office/save-as-or-convert-a-publication-to-pdf-or-xps-using-publisher-657332d0-d2c2-464a-9870-e9b3d22e6469) 6. [Microsoft Support: Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026](https://support.microsoft.com/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7) 7. [LibreOffice download page](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/) ## Cite this page “How to move a Publisher file into Canva.” Aretus, last updated November 3, 2026. https://aretus.app/publisher-to-canva Quoting this page? Please link to it, so your readers can check the source.