Publisher 2016 Key

What is included in Microsoft Publisher 2016?

Publisher 2016 – Windows desktop publishing app for print layouts.
Template library – Ready-made brochures, flyers, calendars and business cards.
Pack and Go – Bundles publication, linked graphics and embedded fonts.
Mail merge – Personalises publications and catalogues from one data source.
Core capacity – CMYK and spot-colour separations for commercial printing.
Important – This is a standalone application; the full Microsoft Office suite is not included.

Compare included Office programs from 2010 to 2024
To compare included applications, read our overview: Microsoft Office - Full Comparison of all Versions from 2010 to 2024 – Which Programmes are Included?

What are the main benefits of Microsoft Publisher 2016?

Publisher 2016 is Microsoft's Windows-only desktop publishing program for page-layout work such as flyers, brochures, newsletters, catalogues and business cards, saved in the .pub format. It is sold as a single application and was also part of Office Professional 2016 and Office Professional Plus 2016, so buying it separately adds layout capability to a PC that already runs Word and Excel.

One-time purchase – Installed locally without a recurring plan.
Precise placement – Rulers, guides and millimetre-level object positioning.
Master pages – Repeat logos, footers and numbering across pages.
Print-shop handoff – Design Checker plus packed PDF for printers.
PDF and JPEG – Export layouts for print or photo services.
Familiar ribbon – Same Office 2016 interface as Word users know.

Compare Office versions from 2010 to 2024
For help choosing the right Office version, read our guide: Compare Office versions from 2010 to 2024 without a subscription and find out which one best suits your system and budget.

What does Publisher 2016 actually do in daily work?

It handles fixed page layouts that Word handles badly: multi-page newsletters, tri-fold brochures, event programmes, labels and business cards where every text box and image sits at an exact coordinate. Objects live in independent frames on a page grid with master pages behind them, so a footer, logo or page number set once repeats across the whole publication instead of being copied into each page. The scratch area beside the page holds pictures and logos that are not yet placed, which speeds up laying out a multi-image flyer. For anything heading to a print shop, File > Export > Save for a Commercial Printer runs the Design Checker, embeds TrueType fonts, collects linked graphics and writes a compressed package plus a PDF.

Who is Publisher 2016 best suited for?

It fits small businesses, schools, clubs, churches and marketing staff who already own .pub files and need to keep editing them on Windows. The decisive point is the file format: .pub cannot be opened by Word, Excel or PowerPoint, so an organisation with an archive of Publisher newsletters, pledge cards or price lists needs Publisher itself to reopen and change those layouts rather than rebuild them. It also suits users who print in-house on a copier or send jobs to an offset printer, because the same file can produce a desktop proof and a packed commercial-press handoff. Users starting a brand-new layout project with no .pub history have less reason to choose it, given the October 2026 retirement described below.

Does Publisher 2016 support commercial print output and colour separations?

Yes. Publisher 2016 can print composite CMYK, composite RGB, composite grayscale, or one separate plate per ink used in the publication, which is what an offset printer needs for four-colour or spot-colour jobs. If the printing service will not accept .pub or PDF files, Publisher can also save a page-independent PostScript file through Advanced Printer Setup, an option printers request when they run trapping or page-imposition software. One practical limit: Publisher cannot save a picture in EPS format, so any EPS artwork must be inserted as a linked file and delivered alongside the publication, which the Pack and Go Wizard does automatically. Inserting pictures as links rather than embedding them also keeps the file smaller and lets the printer colour-manage all images in one batch.

How does Publisher 2016 compare to Publisher 2019 and Publisher 2021?

All three are Windows-only desktop applications that share the .pub format, the Pack and Go handoff and the same separations output, so the real difference is the support window, not the feature set. Publisher 2016 and Publisher 2019 both left support on October 14, 2025; Publisher 2021 is supported until Office LTSC 2021 reaches end of support on October 1, 2026. Microsoft has confirmed that Publisher as a product reaches end of life in October 2026 across every version, so a newer version buys a shorter extension than buyers usually expect.

What technical limitations and missing features should buyers know about?

Publisher 2016 is a standalone layout application: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access are not part of it, and it does not install a base Office suite. Microsoft never released Publisher for macOS, so the program runs on Windows only and .pub files cannot be opened natively by Word, PowerPoint or any other Office application. Extended support for Publisher 2016 ended on October 14, 2025, which means no further security or quality fixes, and Microsoft has scheduled the entire Publisher product line for retirement in October 2026. It also cannot save pictures in EPS format, and it offers no real-time cloud co-authoring of the kind Microsoft 365 apps provide, so two people cannot edit the same publication simultaneously.

What should users check before choosing Publisher 2016?

First, confirm the work will happen on a Windows PC, since there is no Mac edition and no browser version of Publisher. Second, check whether the other Office apps are already installed, because Publisher 2016 adds layout only and will not provide Word or Excel. Third, plan the file strategy around the October 2026 retirement: Microsoft's own guidance is to convert important .pub files to another format, for example through File > Save As > PDF, and it points to a PowerShell script for converting large numbers of files in one pass. Fourth, if a publication needs to be edited later by someone without Publisher, budget time for rebuilding it, because a PDF export preserves the look but not the editable Publisher layout.

Check Windows compatibility for Office versions
To check whether your Windows version fits, read our overview: Windows compatibility with Office - supported Windows and Windows Server versions for Office 2010 to Office 2024.

Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Publisher 2016

Does Publisher 2016 include Word, Excel or PowerPoint?

No. Publisher 2016 is a single desktop publishing application and contains no other Office programs. It was bundled inside Office Professional 2016 and Office Professional Plus 2016, but the standalone product installs Publisher alone.

Does Publisher 2016 need an existing Office installation to run?

No. It installs and runs on its own on a Windows PC. Word or Excel are only relevant if a workflow pulls a mail-merge data source from those files, which Publisher can read without them being open.

Can Publisher 2016 be installed on a Mac?

No. Publisher has been a Windows-only application throughout its history and Microsoft never shipped a macOS version. Mac users typically open a Windows environment through virtualisation software or ask a Windows colleague to export the file to PDF.

Can .pub files be opened without Publisher?

Not with Microsoft's own apps – Word, Excel and PowerPoint have no .pub import. The practical route is to open the file in Publisher and use File > Save As to write a PDF for viewing, which is also Microsoft's recommended step before the October 2026 retirement date.

Will Publisher 2016 stop working after October 2026?

A locally installed perpetual version keeps running and existing .pub files stay editable, but it becomes unsupported: no security updates, no bug fixes and no Microsoft technical support. Microsoft 365 subscribers are treated differently – Publisher is removed from those plans in October 2026 and is no longer accessible there.