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Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browser

A free Publisher alternative.

Altto Layout is a desktop-publishing editor that runs in your browser. Open your Microsoft Publisher (.pub) files and carry on editing them, or make flyers, newsletters, posters and cards from scratch. Save as PDF, pictures or Word. Nothing is uploaded.

Opens .pub files, layout and all Linked text boxes, master pages Print-ready PDF with bleed Not uploaded, no watermark

Or start a new design:

Or start from a template:

Just need a certificate or a calendar? Free certificate template · Free 2027 calendar template · Free flyer template · Free newsletter template · Free invitation template · Free menu template.

Your files are never uploaded — they’re opened, edited and saved right here in this browser tab, on your device.
At a glance

Altto Layout: quick facts

A desktop-publishing editor in your browser, and a way to keep using your Publisher files.

Updated

Opens
Microsoft Publisher .pub files (2002 and later with layout), Altto projects, pictures
Saves as
PDF (with bleed and crop marks if you like), PNG, JPG, Word (.docx), Altto project
Text
Linked text boxes, columns, fonts, sizes, colours, bullets, numbering, spacing
Objects
Pictures (including Publisher’s WMF/EMF clipart), shapes, lines, arrows, tables
Layout
Rulers, guides, snapping, align and distribute, groups, layers, master pages
Privacy
Runs on your device; nothing is uploaded
Price
Free, no sign-up, no watermark
How it works

How to open and edit a Publisher file without Publisher

Microsoft retired Publisher in October 2026, and Microsoft 365 apps can’t open .pub files. Altto Layout reads them in your browser and lets you carry on.

01

Open a file or start a design

Drop in a .pub file, an Altto project or a picture, or pick a page size to start from a blank page.

02

Edit it

Click a box to select it, drag it to move it, and double-click to type. Add text boxes, pictures, shapes and pages from the Insert tab.

03

Save it

Download a PDF to print or share, or save the project to keep working on it later. Nothing is uploaded.

Altto reads the .pub file itself: where each box, picture and shape sits on the page, its text with fonts, sizes and colours, which text boxes are linked, the master page and the colour scheme. Publisher’s clipart (WMF and EMF pictures) is redrawn too. For just the text and pictures, or a quick PDF of a .pub file, use Open a .pub file.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can I open my Microsoft Publisher (.pub) files?
Yes. Drop a .pub file on the box above. Altto reads it on your device and lays out each page with its text boxes, pictures, shapes and lines where they were, in the same sizes and colours. Text that flows from one linked box to the next still flows. Files from Publisher 2002 and later open with their layout; from Publisher 2000 and 98 Altto recovers the text.
Can I save my changes back to a .pub file?
No. Only Microsoft Publisher can write .pub files. Save your work as an Altto project file (.altto) to keep editing it later, and download it as a PDF to print or share, as PNG or JPG pictures, or as a Word document.
Is my file uploaded?
No. Altto Layout runs entirely in your browser: your file is opened, edited and saved on your own device, and never sent anywhere. It also keeps a copy of your current design in this browser so a closed tab doesn’t lose your work.
Will my fonts look the same?
Very close. Altto uses free fonts made to the same measurements as the common Office ones (Carlito for Calibri, Caladea for Cambria, Arimo for Arial, Tinos for Times New Roman, Cousine for Courier New), so text takes the same room and wraps in the same places. Other fonts are shown in the nearest of these, and the original font’s name is kept.
What can I make with it?
Anything you’d make in a desktop-publishing app: flyers, posters, newsletters, leaflets, menus, certificates, calendars, invitations, business cards and greetings cards. Draw text boxes and link them so a story flows from one to the next, add pictures and shapes, arrange and group them, use guides and snapping to line things up, and put a logo or page border on the master page so it shows on every page.
Can I print it?
Yes. Download a PDF and print it, or choose Print in the File menu. For a print shop, choose the PDF with bleed and crop marks: it adds 3 mm of bleed round each page and marks where to trim.
Is it really free?
Yes: no sign-up, no watermark, no limits. Altto is paid for by the ads on its pages.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
It works, but a desktop-publishing editor is easiest on a bigger screen with a mouse. On a phone you can open a .pub file to read it and download it as a PDF.

Microsoft and Publisher are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Altto is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.

More tools

Related tools

Open a .pub fileGet the text and pictures out of a Publisher file.
Edit PDFChange the words in a PDF, in its own font.
PDF to WordTurn a PDF into an editable Word document.

See also: open a .pub file as PDF, .pub to JPG or PNG, .pub to Word, Publisher retired: your options, Publisher alternatives, .pub on Windows 11, .pub on a Mac, .pub on iPhone, iPad and Android.