Publisher to MP4 Converter

Convert PUB to MP4: What This Tutorial Covers

This guide is for anyone who has a Microsoft Publisher (.pub) file — a brochure, flyer, newsletter, or poster layout — and wants it as an MP4 video they can play, embed, or upload to a platform that accepts video but not Publisher documents. Before you start, it helps to know exactly what you get: xconvert renders each page of your Publisher file to a still image and holds that image on screen for a set number of seconds, producing a silent video built from those frames. There is no motion, animation, or audio inside a single page — it is your layout shown as a fixed picture for the duration you choose. If your .pub has several pages, they play one after another like a slideshow.

How to Convert PUB to MP4

1. Upload Your PUB File: Drag and drop your .pub file onto the page, or click "+ Add Files" to browse. You can add several Publisher files at once.
2. Pick Image Duration: Set how long each page stays on screen under "Image Duration" — the default is 5 seconds per frame, and you can choose anything from a single frame (1/60s) up to 10 seconds per page.
3. Set Background Color and Resolution (Optional): Choose a "Background Color" to fill any space around the page (default is Black), and pick a "Video resolution" — keep the original, use a preset like 768p, or set a fixed size such as 1920x1080.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and download your MP4. No sign-up, no watermark.

Walk-through: Getting the Output You Actually Want

The single most important choice is Image Duration, because it decides whether your MP4 is a usable clip or a one-frame flash. Match it to how the video will be used:

• For a readable on-screen display (a flyer looping on a monitor, a poster in a presentation): keep the default 5 seconds, or raise it to 8-10 seconds per page so viewers have time to read.
• For a short social or web clip: 2-3 seconds per page keeps a multi-page newsletter moving without dragging.
• For a single still you just need wrapped in MP4 (some upload forms reject images but accept video): pick 1 second; you still get a valid, playable file.

A few other settings worth setting deliberately:

• Merge strategy — if you upload more than one file, choose "Merge images" to combine every page into one continuous MP4, or "Video per image" to get a separate video for each file.
• Background Color — a Publisher page is rarely the same aspect ratio as a 16:9 video frame, so the converter pads the sides. Black is the default; switch to White (or match your layout's background) so the padding is not distracting.
• Quality Preset — left at "Very High (Recommended)" the text in your layout stays crisp; lower presets shrink the file but can soften small print.

By default the MP4 is encoded with the H.264 video codec, which plays on essentially every modern phone, browser, and TV, so you normally do not need to touch the codec settings.

Common Errors and How to Fix Them

• "My video has no sound" — That is expected. A Publisher file contains no audio, so the resulting MP4 is silent by design. If you need narration or music, add an audio track afterward in a video editor.
• "The page flashes by too fast" — Image Duration is set too low. Raise it to 5 seconds or more so each page is readable.
• "There are black bars around my page" — Your layout's shape does not match the video frame. Choose a resolution closer to your page's proportions, or change the Background Color so the padding blends in.
• "The text looks soft or pixelated" — Pick a higher "Video resolution" (or keep original) and leave the Quality Preset on Very High; very low resolutions blur small fonts.
• "My fonts or special elements look different" — Publisher layouts that rely on uncommon fonts or advanced effects may render slightly differently once rasterized to an image. Embedding fonts in the original .pub before exporting helps.

When This Doesn't Work — and Better Alternatives

MP4 is the right target only when you specifically need a video file. If your real goal is to read, print, or share the layout, a video is the wrong container — it locks your content into frames and strips the text layer. Microsoft itself recommends moving Publisher files to PDF or Word before Publisher support ends on October 1, 2026, and PDF preserves your layout, fonts, and selectable text far better than any video can. For most people the better paths are PUB to PDF for a faithful, printable document, or PUB to JPG / PUB to PNG for sharable page images. Reach for MP4 only when an upload form, digital sign, or social platform genuinely requires a video file. Note too that a .pub saved by a very old or heavily customized Publisher build may not render perfectly; if a page comes out blank, export it to PDF from Publisher first, then convert that.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the MP4 actually move, or is it just a still image?

It is a still image held on screen. xconvert rasterizes each Publisher page to a frame and displays it for the duration you set, so a single-page .pub produces a static, silent clip. Multiple pages play one after another like a slideshow, but nothing animates within a page — Publisher layouts contain no motion to begin with.

Why is there no audio in my converted video?

Publisher documents do not contain an audio track, so there is nothing for the converter to carry over and the output MP4 is silent. The conversion screen does not expose audio options for image-to-video jobs for this reason. If you want a voiceover or background music, add it afterward in any video editor.

Should I convert my .pub to MP4 or to PDF?

Convert to MP4 only if you need a video file — for a looping display, a digital sign, or an upload form that rejects documents. If you want to read, email, or print the layout, use PUB to PDF instead. PDF keeps your fonts and selectable text intact, which is also what Microsoft recommends before Publisher reaches end of support on October 1, 2026.

How long will the MP4 be?

The length is the per-page Image Duration multiplied by the number of pages. At the default 5 seconds per frame, a three-page .pub becomes a 15-second video. Lower the duration for a shorter clip or raise it (up to 10 seconds per page) to give viewers more reading time.

Will the layout, fonts, and colors look the same as in Publisher?

Standard layouts convert faithfully because each page is rendered to an image before encoding. Files that depend on rare fonts or advanced Publisher effects can shift slightly once rasterized. In our testing, a single-page A4 flyer at the default 5-second duration and 1080p produced a short, sharp H.264 MP4 with the layout intact; embedding fonts in the original .pub first further reduces any drift.

Is the conversion private, and are my files kept?

Your file is uploaded over an encrypted connection, converted on our servers, and the result is sent back to you — no sign-up, no watermark, and nothing is shared or made public. Uploaded files and their outputs are deleted automatically a few hours after conversion.