Publisher to PDF in Your Browser — Local PUB Conversion
Convert supported Microsoft Publisher files to PDF in a separate local browser engine, review the pages and extract selectable text while retaining the original PUB.
Publisher PDF Desk
First use may download ~136 MB from the official engine CDN. The document remains local; keep the helper open.
Supported scope: Publisher 0x2C family · 20 MiB · 200 pages · external engine on action
Publisher document and engine download
Required fields are marked with an asterisk.
Real PDF and conversion evidence
Review your output, then save it to your device.
Make the next step clear.
Your findings, assumptions and next steps will appear here after you run the check.
Publisher PDF Desk · https://publisher.kitforma.com/ · KitForma
Actual Publisher import and Draw PDF export
Local PDF page review and selectable-text download
Unchanged original plus explicit engine and layout evidence
Understand the evidence.
Focused guides explain the rules, the edge cases and the checks worth doing before you act.
Convert a Publisher file to PDF in your browser
Run a real local import/export workflow and understand the separate engine window and its download requirements.
Read the guide ↗Field guide / 02Review Publisher layout after PDF conversion
Check the visual details that can differ when a publishing document is imported into another drawing engine.
Read the guide ↗Field guide / 03Extract selectable text from a converted Publisher PDF
Use a real PDF text export while understanding reading order, image-only text and the original document’s role.
Read the guide ↗Before you start
Does this really convert PUB files to PDF?
Yes. An accepted 0x2C-format PUB (Publisher 2002-and-later family) is imported into a drawing document by the office engine, then exported using draw_pdf_Export. Legacy 97/98/2000 0x22-family files are refused because verified conversions lost table content. A separate PDF parser checks the produced file and page count before downloads are offered. Unsupported files fail explicitly.
Why does conversion open another window and download so much?
The browser office runtime needs cross-origin isolation and shared memory. A separate helper provides that environment. Approximately 136 MB of official CDN assets may be downloaded on first use; caching and availability depend on the browser and provider.
Is my Publisher file uploaded?
The document is passed between same-origin tabs and processed in local browser memory. The official ZetaOffice CDN supplies engine assets and receives normal request metadata; it is not sent the document as a conversion upload.
Will the PDF look exactly like Microsoft Publisher?
Not necessarily. Fonts, effects, linked assets and importer differences can change layout or appearance. Review every important page. The output is not certified print-ready and does not recreate an editable Publisher project.
Does text export perform OCR?
No. It extracts selectable text from the converted PDF with page markers. Image-only or outlined text may be absent, and reading order can differ from visual layout. The limit is two million characters.
What are the limits and availability requirements?
20 MiB PUB input, 48 MiB PDF output and 200 pages. Total processing times out after five minutes, with two minutes allowed for document conversion after the engine starts. A current desktop browser with shared memory is required. The external latest runtime is mutable; its provider controls future compatibility and availability.
Sources & assumptions
Formats, algorithms and supported features are documented below. Check the stated scope and inspect your output before using it.
- LibreOffice Publisher format detection ↗
The root Contents signature distinguishes the 0x2C family from the refused 0x22 legacy family; this is a format gate, not a layout guarantee.
- ZetaJS official conversion example ↗
The pinned MIT JavaScript wrapper controls the separately supplied ZetaOffice/LibreOffice runtime.
- LibreOffice document macro execution policy ↗
The importer is configured with NEVER_EXECUTE, separately from PDF export.
- Engine, source and example notices ↗
Runtime provider/source links and wrapper/example license notices; the runtime is not relabelled as MIT.
- Apache POI Publisher example source ↗
The sample is a genuine licensed Publisher test document.
Reviewed 2026-10-17. Read our methodology or report an issue.