A Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft Publisher

Are you new to Microsoft Publisher? Learn the ins and outs of this user-friendly tool and kickstart your design journey.

The world has fast evolved into a digitally driven space, where everyone has at least one finger in technology. You no longer need to hire a graphics professional to design a simple card or brochure.

Now, many applications can help you achieve your dreams with proper knowledge and a few clicks and drags. One such application is Microsoft Publisher.

Here, we’ll explain what Microsoft Publisher is and how it works. We will also briefly discuss the basic features and terms peculiar to the application and guide you through a simple design using these features and tools.

Microsoft Publisher is a multipurpose, user-friendly application that enables users to create professional-looking print and digital publications, such as brochures, flyers, and newsletters.

As part of the Microsoft Office suite, Publisher offers many templates, design tools, and fonts that make it accessible for beginners and professionals. One feature that distinguishes Microsoft Publisher from similar software is its affordability.

Once you subscribe to Microsoft Office and get a license, you have access to all available tools, including Microsoft Publisher. There are even ways to help you get a Microsoft license for free.

Other features include its ease of use, integration with other Microsoft Office applications, and the ability to export publications in various formats. Furthermore, Microsoft Publisher provides various online resources such as tutorials, templates, forums, and third-party websites that offer tips and tricks to help users create and design exceptional publications.

Whether you want to create designs for yourself, your business, or a corporate organization, Microsoft Publisher is a powerful and adaptable tool that can help you design high-quality publications effortlessly.

Like other Microsoft applications, Microsoft Publisher has some specific terms you should understand to better grasp its functionalities. Some of these terms are:

Each Microsoft application has features that make it unique, user-friendly, and easy to navigate. Some, like Excel, have advanced features for different operations and tasks. In the same way, Microsoft Publisher has some features that make designing a seamless process.

While people in different industries use Microsoft Publisher for various types of designs, there are some standard designs for which most people often use the software. So much so that these designs exist on Publisher as templates. Some of the most common ones include:

Before creating a design, you should have a general idea of the final product you expect. Next up, you'll have to decide whether to modify an existing template or start your creation from scratch.

Let's take the design of a basic certificate as a case study. First, open a new publication in landscape or portrait mode.

Add a background from the Page Design tab and borders from the Insert tab.

Draw your textbox and type in the text. You will need different textboxes for different sections on your page. Luckily, Publisher's text boxes work the same as those in Microsoft Word.

Microsoft Publisher also supports common keyboard shortcuts like other Microsoft Office applications. For instance, Ctrl + P is for printing, and Ctrl + O is for opening a new document. Once you have your text, you can add objects (shapes and pictures) to the page if you like. Each text box or object has a box-shaped border that allows you to resize or reorder them.

When you finish your design, run the design check before you print. On the File tab, click Info > Run Design Checker. When the results come up, you can select and correct each error until all the errors clear out.

Finally, the last step is to either mail or print the design.

While there are other types of desktop publishing software, Microsoft Publisher stands out as accessible and affordable, offering a variety of tools and features for creating professional-looking documents.

Its intuitive interface and integration with other Microsoft Office applications make it a convenient choice for individuals and small businesses. Users can create eye-catching designs with a wide selection of templates and design elements, reducing the need for extensive graphic design expertise.

Tayo Sogbesan is a professional writer with over 3 years of experience writing, editing, and optimizing web content. She's been a lover of the technology scene for the better part of the last decade. As such, Tayo has owned, used, and explored the depths of Windows and macOS devices for about 5 years. Tayo is currently a Windows section writer at MakeUseOf, and looks forward to exploring the nuances of the tech space. If she's not typing away on her computer, she is probably catching up on The Office.