How to Create a Publication in Microsoft Publisher?

The Microsoft Publisher application helps you create professional-looking and visually rich publications. The Publisher is a desktop publishing application.

With Publisher on your PC, you can:

• Print the layout content or publish online in a variety of pre-designed templates.
• Create simple items like greeting cards and labels.
• Create complex projects like professional email newsletters, catalogs, and yearbooks.

Create a template:

1. Open Publisher.

Select File > New.

2. Select or search for a template:

• Select a FEATURED template.
• Select BUILT-IN and select a template.
• Search for a template using:
  • Search for online templates, Start Searching button, or
  • One of the suggested searches.

3. Select Create

Add a text box:

1. Select Home > Draw Text Box.

2. Drag the cross-shaped cursor to create a box where you want to add text.

3. Type the text in the text box.

If the text doesn't fit in the text box, link it to another text box or make the text box bigger.

Insert a picture:

You can insert an online picture from OneDrive, the web or from your computer.

1. Select Insert > Pictures or

Insert > Online Pictures.

2. Find the picture you want and select it.

3. Select Insert.

Save in Publisher:

Save your business information to re-use. You can save your business information to pre-populate fields, save time, and ensure consistency.

1. Select Insert -> Business Information.

>Edit Business Information.

2. Select Add Logo to add a logo or image. Browse the logo and select Open.

3. For Business Information set name, type a name like School, Personal, or Company.

4. Select Save.

Save your file:

When you save your file to the cloud, you can share and collaborate with others, and get to your files on your computer, tablet, or phone.

1. Select File > Save As.

2. Select OneDrive.

Save work files to your company OneDrive and personal files to OneDrive - Personal.

You can also save to another location in the list, or add a location.

Design in Publisher:

Link text boxes: If you have too much text to fit in a text box, select or create another text box and link them.

1. The Publisher text box overflow button.

The cursor changes to a pitcher text box linking pitcher, used to link text boxes.

2. Click anywhere on the page to create a new text box or select the text box you want the text to flow into for the overflow text. 

Swap pictures

Swap and drag pictures from the scratch area to your layout until you find the layout you like.

1. Select a picture.

2. Use the mountain icon to drag the picture where you want it.

3. Release the mouse button, when the pink highlight appears around the picture.

Crop a picture

1. Select the picture.

2. Select Picture Tools Format > Crop.

3. Use the cropping handles to size the picture:

Drag a center handle to crop that side.

Hold Ctrl and drag a center handle to crop evenly on two sides.

To crop all four sides evenly use Hold Ctrl+Shift and drag a corner handle.

4. Click outside the picture to crop.

Add effects to pictures

You can add effects like shadow, reflection, glow, soft edges, bevel, and 3-D rotation to pictures.

1. Select a picture.

2. Select Picture Tools Format > Picture Effects.

3. Select an effect: Shadow, Reflection, Glow, Soft Edges, Bevel, or 3-D Rotation.

4. Select the effect you want.

Add effects to text

You can add shadow, reflection, glow, and bevel effects to the text.

1. Select the text you want to format.

2. Select Text Box Tools Format > Text Effects.

3. Select the type of effect: Shadow, Reflection, Glow, or Bevel.

4. Select the specific effect you want.

Add a building block

To use in your publications, the Publisher offers hundreds of building blocks, like headings, calendars, borders, and advertisements.

1. Select the Insert tab.

2. Select a building block:

• Page Parts
• Calendars
• Borders & Accents
• Advertisements

See all building blocks

• Select Show Building Block Library Dialog Box Launcher button on the ribbon.
• Select a building block in the library, and then select Insert.