Microsoft Publisher is going end of life

19th June 2025

Microsoft Publisher is going end of life in October 2026.

In October 2026, Microsoft Publisher will reach its end of life.

After this time, it will no longer be included in any new versions of the perpetual version or Office 365. It will also no longer be supported in any perpetual version. If you use Microsoft 365 for your Office suite, you will no longer be able to edit or open any Publisher files.

What is Publisher used for?

It is a desktop publishing application that can create customisable templates for calendars, business cards, envelopes, booklets and labels.

How will this affect you?

You can carry on using Publisher until October 2026.

From this date Office 365 subscribers will no longer be able to use Publisher and support for the perpetual version will end.

How to prepare for October 2026:

How to view and edit content ready for October 2026

Convert content to a Word file.

Use a third-party conversion tool to convert to another file type.

Alternatives to Publisher

Microsoft Designer

A web-based application that allows you to create designs.

https://designer.microsoft.com

Microsoft Word

You can create a of the designs in Word that you can with Publisher.

Microsoft Power Point

You can brochures, banners, signs, certificates, business cards and posters in PowerPoint.

For more information

For more information, see Microsoft’s update, which explains what will happen.

How We Work

Understand

Taking the time to get to know you, your business, and all of your requirements

Plan

Meeting your current needs, while always future-proofing for issues down the line

Deliver

Our transparent services keep you on budget and on schedule with limited disruption

Central Lancaster High School

“The migration to a single domain was virtually flawless with minimal snagging. Network speed has improved considerably with backups simplified. Staff can now log on to any computer...

Lancaster Road Primary School

Everything we do as a school is focussed on raising aspirations, improving outcomes for children and ensuring a safe and happy school experience for children. Bowker IT have become...

All Case Studies

Client Feedback

Bowker IT provides a highly professional, knowledgeable and cost effective service. They have a thorough understanding of our unique needs and priorities, in addition to awareness of wider technological developments and business innovations. As an online operation uptime is business critical, and Bowker IT have consistently demonstrated their commitment to ensuring we have a stable and effective system in place.

Mark Hepworth, Intec (UK) Limited

Client Feedback

The installation of the replacement CCTV was completed with minimal issues. Everything from the cabling to the final configuration of the cameras was completed professionally and on schedule. This has enable key staff to view live footage on their iPads while in school on the move. This has massively increased the safeguarding aspect as staff are able to locate students quickly and deal with any incidents that happen during the school day. The improvement to after school hours has been night and day. The images at night are so much clearer and the option to have the cameras on motion detect has helped with not storing unnecessary video footage.

Adam Sharples, Carnforth High School

Client Feedback

We are extremely happy with the service we have received from Bowker IT, right from the start they were clear and helpful in implementing our IT upgrade. Unlike other companies I have worked with, they kept us in the loop and kept the conversations jargon free and non patronising. The installation was quick, painless and passed without disruption to our work, and they are very quick to provide off and on site support, even for relatively small issues. I would definitely recommend them to any of our clients with similar requirements.

Dominic Williams, Fat Media Limited

Client Feedback

We are a fairly new client to Bowker IT, but in the short time that we have worked with them, they have implemented a solution that has improved our day to day working environment greatly. The consultants provide an efficient and professional service both remotely and on-site. They deal with issues in a timely manner, keeping us informed throughout. They have an understanding of our requirements for the working day to run effectively, and are committed to making sure our environment is stable and productive. I highly recommend Bowker IT Ltd to any company that are looking to outsource their ICT, they have become a valued part of our company in such a short space of time..

Val Hughes, AM Support Services Ltd

Client Feedback

We have no hesitation in recommending Bowker IT to other businesses. They provide a superb service - friendly, helpful and always available whenever needed. I am deeply impressed with their transparent costing which enable future growth plans to be accurately forecast. Bowker IT consultants feel like a part of the company, they get involved in any meetings where IT is concerned when requested, provide good documentation and deliver timesheet driven reports and proactive system monitoring. It's a first class service without the high cost this usually implies.

John Lyon, ICS (Independent Contractor Services) Ltd

Client Feedback

When we started the business, we chose Bowker IT straight away as we knew the team would get the job done. From recommending Cloud Storage - to allow us to have access to a server and our email at a low cost no matter where we are in the world - right through to remotely accessing our computers when we have problems, they have provided exactly what we need to operate our business efficiently. They are friendly, straight talking, approachable and always ensure any issues are sorted out quickly, which allows us to concentrate on running the business. They have become a valuable part of our company and I’d happily recommend them to other businesses looking for support as they grow.

Laura Mashiter, Refresh PR

Client Feedback

I would like to take the opportunity to praise your team of engineers for the works they have carried out so far on our Paxton doors, they have been extremely accommodating, tidied up to a very high standard and been very patient with our pupils and the health and safety of the areas around school.

Paula Mason, Bleasdale School

Client Feedback

"The Engineers from Bowker IT were very professional and made sure that the solution fit our requirements. The install was done during quiet time but we still had a large number of people coming in and out, they were not disrupted and work was done to a high safety standard."

Darren Stevens, IT Manager