Welcome to Open Publisher! This is a lightweight, web-based desktop publishing tool that allows you to create documents, flyers, brochures, and fun designs on any device in any modern browser. We are constantly tweaking and improving the app based on your feedback to make the workflow as smooth as possible.
- The Interface Overview
- File Management & Importing
- Core Editing & Workflows
- Working with Text
- Working with Images & Graphics
- Page Design & Layout
- Multi-Page Documents & Printing
- Templates
- Ribbon Reference (Detailed Tab Breakdown)
- Keyboard Shortcuts
If you’ve spent any time on a computer over the past 20 years, this layout will feel instantly familiar—it’s look's inspired by Microsoft's Office, when it looked at it's best.
- Title Bar: Displays the document name (click to rename), Undo/Redo controls, and mouse coordinates.
- Ribbon Menu: The tabbed area at the top containing all tools. Note: Contextual tabs will automatically appear here when you select specific items like images or tables.
- Sidebar (Left): Shows thumbnails of your pages. Use this to add, delete, or switch pages.
- Canvas & Rulers (Center): Your workspace. The rulers are hardware-accelerated, measure in true Centimeters/Millimeters (matching MS Publisher), and dynamically track your page's exact physical dimensions.
- Zoom Controls (Bottom Right): Quick toggles for zooming (60% - 150%). The ruler and canvas will gracefully scale without blurring or losing lines.
Everything related to opening, saving, and exporting your work is located in the File Tab.
- Save Source: Click Save Source to download a
.jsonfile. This is your "Master File." Keep this to edit your text or move objects later. - Save as PDF: Renders your pages as a high-quality PDF document.
You can click Open or simply Drag and Drop files directly onto the canvas. We currently support:
- Open Publisher Saves (
.json): Restores your previous working sessions. - Images (
.png,.jpg, etc.): Drops the image directly onto your page. - Publisher Files (
.pub,.pubx): Experimental import for legacy Publisher files. - Word Documents (
.doc,.docx): Because Word layouts can be tricky, dropping a Word file opens an import menu with two choices:- Editable Text Mode: The engine will extract the text, fonts, and colors, turning them into editable boxes.
- Flattened Image Mode (Safe Mode): Best for strict forms or highly complex medical tables. It renders the document as a high-res, uneditable background image to guarantee 100% layout accuracy.
- Selection & Marquee: Click once on any object to select it. Click and drag on the blank paper to draw a Marquee Selection Box and select multiple items at once.
- Grouping: Once multiple items are selected, right-click and choose Group to lock them together.
- Movement & Resize: Drag an object to move it, or drag the white square handles to resize. Dragging a handle past the opposite edge will "flip" (mirror) the object.
- Contextual Ribbons: When you select an image, shape, or table, keep an eye on the top ribbon. A special highlighted tab (e.g., "Picture Tools") will appear with specific tools for that object.
- Right-Click Context Menu: Right-click anywhere on the canvas or on an object to quickly access layer arrangements, background formatting, cropping, grouping, and more.
Go to the Insert Tab and click Text Box. You can format text using the Ribbon, or by using the Floating Toolbar that appears next to your selection.
- Text Fit: Right-click a text box and select Text Fit: Best Fit to automatically scale your font to perfectly fill the box.
- Drop Cap: Right-click and select Drop Cap to stylize the first letter of a paragraph.
For headlines, go to Insert > WordArt to access a gallery of 200 pre-styled graphical text effects. You can stretch, resize, and swap WordArt styles on the fly without breaking the layout.
Go to the Insert Tab to upload pictures or utilize our built-in vector Clipart, Shapes, and Ad Stickers.
When an image is selected, the Picture Tools tab appears:
- Crop & Shape Crop: Click Crop to trim the image, or right-click the image and select Crop to Shape to instantly cut your photo into a circle, star, or triangle.
- Recolor & Filters: Apply grayscale, sepia, color tints, or drop-shadows.
Use the Page Design Tab to change the look of the paper itself.
- Size & Orientation: Switch between A4/Letter and Portrait/Landscape.
- Page Borders: Apply standard lines or Fancy Borders (Art Deco, Floral, Certificate) to the page edge.
- Themes & Backgrounds: Click a color swatch in the ribbon, or right-click the blank paper and select Format Background to pick a custom hex color.
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We have completely overhauled the print spooler to ensure a seamless physical printing experience.
- Click Print in the File tab.
- Zero Spillage: We use a special mathematical "zoom box" to ensure your document never triggers an extra blank page at the end.
- Color Accuracy: Background colors, forms, and text-halos are forced to render exactly as they appear on screen.
Need inspiration? Go to File > Templates. Browse categories like Resumes, Flyers, Menus, and Certificates.
📝 Note: Loading a template will replace the content of your currently selected page.
- Common: Shortcuts for PDF Export and Saving.
- Clipboard: Paste, Copy, Cut.
- Font: Font Family, Size, Bold, Italic, Underline, and Color Picker.
- Editing: Select All.
- Arrange: Bring to Front, Send to Back, Delete.
- Illustrations: Text Box, Picture (Upload), Clipart (Gallery).
- Graphics: Shapes (Solid & Outlines), WordArt.
- Marketing: Ad templates and stickers.
- Tables: Grid picker to insert editable tables.
- Page Setup: Margins Toggle, Orientation, Size.
- Layout: Borders (Basic & Fancy), Header/Footer Toggle.
- Themes: Background color/pattern selector.
- Zoom: Presets (60%, 75%, 100%, 150%).
- Show:
- Margins: Visual print guides.
- Rulers: Hardware-accelerated measurement rulers (CM/MM).
- Grid: Graph paper overlay.
- Baselines: Notebook line overlay.
- Proofing:
- Spelling: Turn on the red squiggly lines for spellcheck.
- Thesaurus: Opens external reference.
| Shortcut | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo |
| Ctrl + C | Copy |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Delete | Delete selected element(s) |
| Ctrl + Wheel | Zoom In / Out |
| Esc | Deselect all |
| Ctrl + A | Select All |
| Ctrl + 0 | Reset Zoom |