Frequently asked questions

• Will it open my old .pub files?

  Yes. Sign in, click Import .pub, and pick the file. It converts to a .bboss file you own, with your text in editable frames and your pictures placed where they were. It’s an editable approximation rather than a pixel copy, so check each page before you print.

• What does the .pub import get right, and what does it miss?

  Text comes across with its fonts, sizes, and colors, in frames you can edit. Pictures, shapes, page size, and positions convert well. Publisher’s WordArt, some spacing, and vector clip art don’t convert, and the app lists exactly what it skipped after every import so you aren’t hunting for it later.

• What should I do before Publisher goes away?

  Gather your .pub files somewhere you can find them, and import the ones you still use. Microsoft is retiring Publisher in October 2026. Importing now means you can compare the result against the original while you still have both.

• Can text flow from one box to the next?

  Yes. Link a text frame to another and the story pours through the chain, onto the following page if that’s where the chain goes. Resize a column and the text redistributes. If there’s more text than room, the last frame shows a red marker.

• Can I do a mail merge?

  Yes. Load a CSV, insert your fields into the layout, step through the records on screen to check them, then merge and print one copy per record. Postcards, letters, and label sheets all work this way. It warns you about fields with no matching column before anything prints.

• Do I have to install anything?

  No. It runs in your browser. You can also install it from the browser so it opens like an app on your desktop or home screen. A downloadable desktop version is planned for early 2027.

• Do I need an account?

  To save projects to your BrochureBoss library, yes, and creating one is free. Importing a .pub file needs an account too. You can download any project as a .bboss file to keep on your own computer.

• Is it free?

  Yes, while the browser version is in beta. Desktop app pricing isn’t set yet, and beta users will hear first.

• What is a .bboss file?

  It’s the BrochureBoss project format: your pages, text, and layout in one file. It’s plain readable JSON, not a locked format. Download it from the app, keep it wherever you keep files, and open it again in BrochureBoss any time.

• Will my print shop accept the PDF?

  Yes, for most jobs. Fonts embed, so the printer sees the type you chose. You can turn on bleed for art that runs off the edge and crop marks for trimming. Colors are RGB, so a shop that needs CMYK separations will convert on their end.

• Why does printing go through my browser’s print dialog?

  Because that’s what embeds the fonts properly. Choose Save as PDF in the dialog and you get a file a print shop will accept. A direct download button would mean substituting fonts, which is how PDFs come back looking wrong.

• What templates are there?

  Twelve: tri-fold and bi-fold brochures, event flyer, poster, newsletter, letterhead, business card, price list, menu, postcard, mailing labels, and blank. Several arrive set up with bleed, merge fields, or linked columns already in place.

• Do I need to know design?

  No. Import what you already made, or start from a template and replace the text and pictures. Things snap to the margins and to each other as you drag them.

• Can I get help?

  Email a person and get a person back: hello@brochureboss.com.

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