Microsoft Publisher is a desktop publishing application that is part of the Microsoft 365 suite. Unlike Microsoft Word, which focuses largely on textual and proofreading components, Publisher deals primarily with page layout and design. With the help of this versatile tool, users can style texts, create borders, and design photo layouts, then email the final product, publish it online, or print it.

This user-friendly publishing tool is easy to understand for users of all ages and from all backgrounds. This makes it a good option for those who need to design publications for work but may lack formal design training, such as small business owners, teachers, freelancers, and students. With the help of Publisher, it’s possible for all users to create professional-grade sales and branding material.

Microsoft Publisher includes the necessary tools to help users professionally design and publish their material. Publisher can create posters for events, newsletters, advertising initiatives within organizations, business cards, programs, flyers, brochures, postcards, and personalized birthday cards. In addition, users can create their own designs, work with existing content, or opt for the provided templates.

Professions that use Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft Publisher has an array of uses, which means it has applications in many industries. Because it integrates with other Microsoft 365 apps, those who use Word regularly at their jobs may also benefit from learning more about Publisher. For example, Freelance Writers, Journalists, or Technical Writers who wish to create a professional-grade newsletter, brochure, or flyer would easily be able to do so with Publisher. In addition, anyone whose job involves design, such as Visual Designers and Graphic Designers, would also find Publisher helpful. Finally, many Editors and Publishers tasked with printing, publishing, and dispersing materials also would find it helpful to work with Publisher for their daily tasks.

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Benefits & Drawbacks of Working with Microsoft Publisher

Those who work with Microsoft Publisher find it to be an overall helpful, affordable application for creating professional-grade documents with stunning design aspects. While many users cite benefits to working with this software, there are some drawbacks to be aware of as well:

Benefits

  • Once text is entered in Publisher, it can be spell-checked for grammar and usage concerns. Similar to how Word performs spell check, Publisher offers in-line notifications of any errors it spots. A full text review is also possible to ensure that the final product is polished, clear, and grammatically sound.
  • Publisher’s wizards provide guidance to help users create the end product they most want to see. Even first-time Publisher users can work with the app’s wizards to ensure their final product will look professional. 
  • If you already have content you wish to work with in Publisher, even in PDF form, it can be converted to PUB form with an Able2Extract PDF converter. This allows users to easily update, edit, and modify prior PDF documents.
  • It’s compatible with the Microsoft Office 365 suite. This means that users can natively import Word documents by using common file extensions. In addition, Excel spreadsheets can also be imported, as can PowerPoint presentations.
  • It’s easy to insert new content. With the help of the Picture command, users can insert their own photos and images directly into Publisher.
  • When working with the Publisher templates, text is wrapped from one column to the next and can extend for multiple pages. For those who are working with their own customized templates, this autoflow feature can be set up through the Text Box Tools menu option. It comes in handy for times when it’s necessary to insert large text blocks into the document, and eliminates the corresponding cutting and rearranging that would be necessary if working on another competing platform.
  • For those with a passion for desktop publishing, Microsoft Publisher is significantly cheaper than other publishing programs. This application is available for different price points, depending on which version is purchased as part of the Microsoft 365 suite. In addition, a subscription to Publisher costs significantly less than outsourcing materials to a publishing house.
  • Users can drag and drop content such as images or pictures into a Publisher document to give it a more professional look and feel. With the help of the Publisher Library feature, any repetitive content, such as text and images, can be stored for subsequent use.
  • It can be quite expensive to have professional business cards designed and printed. Microsoft Publisher can create stunning business cards, right from your desktop PC.

Drawbacks

  • Although the autoflow feature is helpful in many instances for cutting and pasting text, it’s important to make sure that the text box into which the text is placed is large enough for the content. If it fills up, the text will stop at the end of the box.
  • Each image added to a project in Publisher takes up approximately 2MB of space, which increases the file size over the course of the project. It can take a long time to upload the final product to a website or printing company.
  • It only works on PCs. 
  • Publisher provides access to basic image effects, such as quick shapes and 3D extrusions for photo enhancement. However, if you wish to edit a picture or logo, Publisher isn’t as effective as competing design software.
  • While Publisher can bring tables in from Excel as well as other platforms, once they are in Publisher, they are converted into an image that can no longer be edited. If an error is spotted in the table, it must be changed in the source file, then brought back into Publisher.

Despite the challenges of working with Publisher, this Microsoft app provides an overall convenient, accessible, and affordable way for those who don’t come from a design-related background to still create stunning and engaging documents.

Start Learning Microsoft Office with Hands-On Classes

Proficiency in Microsoft Office can open professional doors across industries, as well as lead to upward career mobility. A great way to begin learning about Microsoft Office is to sign up for one of Noble Desktop’s Microsoft Office courses. These small group classes are offered in-person in Manhattan, as well as in the live online format. For students and professionals on the go, there are also in-person and live online Microsoft Office courses available through Noble Desktop or one of its affiliate schools. A variety of course options are offered, ranging in duration from three hours to three days and costing between $219 and $1,785. You can also browse in-person Microsoft Office classes in a city near you.

Because Microsoft Publisher integrates with Word, a solid understanding of this application is a great first step toward working with Publisher. That’s why, in addition to general Office classes, Noble Desktop offers in-person and remote Microsoft Word classes as well.