Publisher discontinued

Dear @Michelle, 

Good day, and I appreciate the clear explanation of your concern.   

Microsoft Word is the most straightforward replacement for Publisher in label scenarios. It includes built-in tools for creating, editing, and printing labels and it works well with Zebra printers that are installed in Windows using the standard driver. 

Below are the steps you can follow in Word: 

• Open Word using the desktop application. 
• Go to the Mailings tab and select Labels. 
• Choose Options. 
• If your Zebra label size does not appear in the list, select New Label. 
• Enter the exact label dimensions, margins and spacing to match your Zebra label stock. 
• Select OK, then choose Full page of the same label or Single label, depending on how you normally print. 
• Select New Document to generate an editable label layout. 

• Save the file as a Word template, for example a .dotx file, so staff can reuse it easily. 

Once saved, this template can be opened at any time for quick text edits without needing to redesign the label. 

Using the template for daily editing and printing: 

• Open the saved Word label template. 
• Update the label text or content as needed. 
• Select File, then Print. 
• Choose the Zebra printer installed on the computer. 

• Run a test print on plain paper first to confirm alignment before using label stock. 

This process closely matches a typical Publisher edit and print workflow and is well suited for frequent small changes. 

Optional scenario: Printing multiple different labels in one batch 

If your workflow sometimes requires printing many labels with different text in a single print run, Word also supports this through Mail Merge. 

• Keep the label layout created as described above. 
• Use Mail Merge to connect the label layout to a data source such as an Excel file. 

• Generate and print a batch of labels where each label has different content. 

This option is only necessary if you regularly print varied labels in bulk. 

Additional information is available in the following resources: 
Create and print labels - Microsoft Support 

Use mail merge for bulk email, letters, labels, and envelopes - Microsoft Support 

For exporting your existing Publisher files: 

Since Publisher files will no longer be accessible to Microsoft 365 subscribers after the retirement date, it is important to preserve existing layouts. 

• Export the current finalized Publisher label designs to PDF for reference and record keeping. 
• Recreate the active label layouts in Word using the steps above so you can continue making changes going forward. 
• If you have a large number of .pub files, Microsoft offers a bulk export option using PowerShell automation to convert Publisher files to PDF before the retirement deadline: Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026 - Microsoft Support 

This ensures design consistency while allowing continued editing. 

As community moderators, we kindly ask for your understanding that our access to internal development details is limited. Our primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While we may not have visibility into performing deeper backend analysis, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.  

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any questions or need further support, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

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