PUB vs PDF: Which File Should You Keep?

PUB is the source publication

A Publisher document can describe text frames, page objects, pictures and layout relationships. Its usefulness depends on an application understanding that document structure. A person who only receives the PUB file may not have software capable of opening it.

Preserving the original matters even after conversion. A future importer or a manual reconstruction may recover content that a previous attempt missed. Keep sources unchanged, especially when a conversion contains placeholders or simplified objects. Replacing the filename extension with .pdf does not transform the document.

PDF is a distribution and reference format

PDF is useful when the recipient needs to see a stable page rather than manipulate the original layout. It can contain text and vector artwork as well as images; calling every PDF a flattened picture is inaccurate. What remains editable depends on how the PDF was created and the software used to edit it.

A PDF reader can display a publication without providing Publisher’s original editing structure. Text that can be selected is not proof that columns, linked stories or individual design objects have been reconstructed. A page may look correct but be awkward to update for next month’s issue.

Microsoft’s explanation of Publisher PDF output

A native project is your working version

A .rempress project is the version you reopen in RemPress to continue editing supported content. When migrating from Publisher, save the checked import as a project and then reopen it to test the actual future workflow. Do not repeatedly re-import the same PUB source for every minor revision.

Native saving does not retrospectively recover elements that the import did not support. If some text arrived as an image, the project may retain that image rather than turn it into a text box. Look at the imported objects and compatibility notes before deciding whether the result meets your needs.

Choose a file for the next person’s task

Ask what the recipient needs to do before sending several formats indiscriminately. A printer may want single pages instead of imposed spreads. A colleague may need the wording for reuse rather than the original visual layout. The right handoff reduces unnecessary conversion.

• Reader or meeting attendee: usually a reviewed PDF, not an unexplained PUB attachment.
• Print supplier: the format and output settings that supplier requests, with a proof where needed.
• Colleague updating a layout: the accepted native project, required assets and an agreed font plan.
• Future archive: original source, readable reference, relevant assets and notes about how to reopen the working version.
• Support investigation: the minimum useful information first, such as an error message and redacted screenshot.

Example: a café menu that changes every season

Keep the original menu.pub as the historical source. After migration, maintain Cafe-Menu-A4.rempress as the working master. Save dated project copies when a season changes and produce a checked PDF for approval or distribution using an appropriate output route.

If a colleague sends corrections, apply them to the working master and regenerate the output. Otherwise the PDF and editable project can drift apart: one contains corrected prices while the other still holds last season’s text. Put an approval date in the filename or register so staff know which version is current.

Why PDF-to-editable conversion changes layouts

A receiving editor has to infer relationships that may not be represented as its own paragraphs, tables or text frames. It can split a line into several objects or interpret a graphic-heavy page as an image. A conversion result therefore needs a practical editing test, not only a visual inspection.

For text-heavy material that will become a flowing document, Word may be a reasonable destination. For a precisely arranged print layout, a page-layout project may be more suitable. Neither route guarantees that a complex Publisher publication transfers without correction.

Consider the Publisher-to-Word route

Plan an editable Publisher migration

A useful archive set

You do not need to create every format for every obsolete draft. Match the archive to the value and likely reuse of the document. For important masters, the source, reference and working project together provide a much stronger handover than any one file alone.

• Untouched original PUB file
• Reviewed PDF or other clear reference output
• Accepted editable project where future editing matters
• Original images and other required assets
• Font names and lawful source information
• Page dimensions and printing notes
• Date, reviewer and known limitations
• An independent backup

Build a Publisher archive

Recover supported content as a RemPress project