The most up-to-date version of Microsoft Publisher is always available with an Office 365 subscription. Publisher 2019 is the latest classic version of Publisher. It is a one-time purchase that does receive updates. Previous versions include Publisher 2016, Publisher 2013, Publisher 2010, Publisher 2007, and Publisher 2003. Popular free Alternatives to Microsoft Office Publisher for Windows, Mac, Web, Linux, iPhone and more. Explore 11 apps like Microsoft Office Publisher, all suggested and ranked by the AlternativeTo user community.
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As one of the world's most popular layout and design programs, Microsoft Publisher turns laypeople into amateur graphic designers. Included with the Microsoft Office expanded package, Publisher is an affordable alternative to the expensive programs that professional designers use. There's just one problem – Publisher only works on PCs. If you've recently converted to a Mac, you may feel a bit lost, but don't worry; equivalent programs are available, and some of them are free.
Apple Solution
One of the advantages of owning an Apple computer is you can use Apple software that seamlessly integrates with the Mac operating system. Visit the Mac App Store and click on the 'Productivity' category to learn about and purchase Pages, a program that many would point to as the most obvious equivalent to Publisher. With layout and design features that meet most design tasks, Pages often comes pre-installed on new macs for free. If you didn't get it for free, it is affordable. It's part of a software suite called iWork, so also take a look at its teammates Keynote and Numbers as well. All three programs can export documents in PDF, DOC and XLS formats.
Microsoft Solution
Perhaps one reason why Microsoft hasn't made a Mac version of Publisher is because it makes a Mac version of Microsoft Word that can do almost as much. Comb through a few tech blogs and forums and you'll see that people lamenting the need for Mac Publisher are usually nudged toward Microsoft Word. It's true that Word does a lot for its Mac users: With drawing tools, text effects and specialty printing settings as well as templates, you can produce fliers, brochures, banners and newsletters that look sharp. Because you might wind up buying Microsoft Office for Mac anyway for other tasks, Word is a cost-effective solution to your publishing needs.
Free Applications
Even more cost effective than Pages or Word is Apache Open Office. It's free because open source programmers produce it – just download it from Apache and install it on your hard drive. Like Microsoft Office, Open Office is a suite of programs. One member, Draw, is considered a Publisher substitute. The interface is similar and some of the menus are in the same place as Publisher's. All Open Office programs save files in their own format, but you can use the 'Save As' command to convert them to DOC, PDF and many other file formats. With Draw, you can do everything you could do in Publisher; in fact, some users prefer to show support for the open source community by using it.
Draw isn't the only free application out there: Scribus, another open source product, has plenty of fans. If your needs are simple, try Bean. It's a lightweight program, but it has all the tools you need for a flier or small newsletter.
Premium Applications
If cost isn't a big concern – maybe you're buying for your workplace – try one of the industry standards if your technical skills can meet the challenge. Adobe InDesign is the workhorse for designers around the globe. Capable of producing anything from a business card to a multisection newspaper to a 10,000-page novel, InDesign offers many complex text and layout features and tools not part of Publisher. By subscribing to Adobe's Creative Cloud, you can use it and all Adobe programs for a reasonable monthly fee. Another big player in the publishing world is QuarkXPress. With a more utilitarian interface than InDesign, Quark is perhaps easier to learn. It is expensive for business licenses, but a copy for educational or nonprofit purposes costs just a few hundred dollars.
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Microsoft Publisher For Mac Alternative
About the Author
Amy Stanbrough is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. Her work has appeared in 'Bust,' 'Woman's World,' 'Southern Exposure' and many other publications. Stanbrough holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from George Mason University.
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