Convert PUB to CDR

A print shop or designer may require an editable CorelDRAW file when a publication exists only as a Microsoft Publisher document. The dependable workflow is to export the PUB file as PDF, import the PDF into CorelDRAW, check the reconstructed layout, and save it as CDR.

What the PUB format is

.pub is Microsoft Publisher’s native desktop-publishing format. It stores page layouts, text frames, images, tables, shapes, linked resources, and publication settings for brochures, flyers, newsletters, business cards, calendars, and labels.

Publisher is intended to edit these objects within Publisher, not to provide a general interchange format for vector applications. CorelDRAW support for native PUB import varies by version and may not interpret every font setting, effect, linked image, or Publisher-specific object correctly.

What the CDR format is

.cdr is CorelDRAW’s native document format. It can preserve CorelDRAW pages, vector objects, editable text, layers, fills, outlines, object attributes, and multi-page layouts more effectively than a generic exchange format.

CDR is appropriate when the recipient must continue editing the file in CorelDRAW or use it in a CorelDRAW-based print workflow. CDR is proprietary and version-sensitive, so save to a compatible CorelDRAW version when the recipient uses older software.

How to convert a PUB file to CDR

1. Open the PUB file in Microsoft Publisher. Check every page for missing fonts, overflowing text, broken links, substituted images, and incorrect page dimensions.
2. Use File → Export → Create PDF/XPS Document, or use File → Save As and select PDF; the exact menu names depend on the Publisher version.
3. Choose High quality printing for ordinary print work or Commercial press when the printer requests press-oriented output. Use the required page range, embed fonts when the export dialog provides that option, and include bleed only when the print specification requires it.
4. In CorelDRAW, choose File → Import and select the exported .pdf. Import the required pages and select the PDF import option for text when text must remain editable. Select curves when visual fidelity is more important than text editing.
5. Inspect the imported pages at high magnification. Correct text wrapping, font substitutions, transparency, clipping, image placement, groups, and page size.
6. Choose File → Save As, select CDR - CorelDRAW, and save the reconstructed document. If required, select an older CDR version for compatibility with the recipient’s software.

CorelDRAW may offer native PUB import in some versions, but PDF export from Publisher is generally safer because Publisher performs the layout rendering before CorelDRAW receives the file. If a PDF imports as unsuitable groups, ungroup the artwork selectively and rebuild text or shapes rather than assuming that every imported object is fully editable.

Online conversion options

Services such as Zamzar and Convertio may accept PUB files and convert them to PDF, but an online service normally does not create a genuinely editable CDR document. If Publisher is unavailable, use a service that explicitly lists PUB → PDF, download the PDF, and import it into the desktop version of CorelDRAW.

Do not upload confidential publications, client artwork, personal data, unpublished designs, or files containing licensed fonts unless the service’s retention, deletion, and file-processing terms are acceptable. Verify the downloaded PDF page count, fonts, images, and dimensions before importing it.

Quality and compatibility limits

PDF is an interchange format, not a complete Publisher-to-Corel object map. Text can arrive as separate frames or curves, Publisher effects can be flattened, transparency can change, and unsupported shapes can become grouped objects or raster images.

Unavailable fonts can change line breaks, pagination, and object positions. Converting text to curves prevents font substitution but removes text editing, complicates proofreading, and can increase file size.

Check image resolution and color settings for the intended output. A screen-oriented PDF may contain low-resolution RGB images, while commercial printing may require embedded fonts, CMYK color, bleed, crop marks, and a printer-specified PDF standard. Those PDF settings do not automatically make the resulting CDR press-ready.

Keep the original PUB and exported PDF with the CDR file. PUB remains the best source for changing Publisher-specific layout elements; CDR is the working copy for CorelDRAW editing.