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How to Get a DD-MM-YYYY Date Format in Publisher 2019
Question details
The user wants to format dates as DD-MM-YYYY in Microsoft Publisher 2019, but the option does not appear in the built-in Date and Time menu.
- Product
- Microsoft Publisher 2019
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Inserting or updating dates in a Publisher document using a specific hyphenated day-month-year format.
- Observed behavior
- The DD-MM-YYYY format is unavailable in the Publisher Date and Time dropdown because the software depends on default Windows regional settings.
Before modifying your date formats, ensure you have access to the Windows Control Panel, as Publisher relies directly on your system-wide regional configurations.
Customize Windows Regional Short-Date Format
Modify your Windows system settings to force Microsoft Publisher to recognize and display the DD-MM-YYYY format.
Microsoft Publisher pulls its available date formatting options directly from your Windows operating system. By changing the system's short-date format to use hyphens, Publisher will automatically update its available choices.
Click the Windows Start menu, type 'Control Panel' in the search bar, and press Enter to launch the application.
Click on 'Clock and Region', then select 'Region' to open the system format settings window.
In the Formats tab, click 'Additional settings' at the bottom. Switch to the 'Date' tab, manually type 'dd-MM-yyyy' into the 'Short date' field, and click Apply, then OK.
Return to Microsoft Publisher. Close the 'Date and Time' window if it is currently open, then reopen it. The DD-MM-YYYY option will now appear in the dropdown menu.
Use Manual Entry or Advanced Workarounds
If you lack administrative privileges to change Windows settings, you can use alternative methods to insert your desired date format.
Create and Format Documents Easily with WPS Office
While Microsoft Publisher requires system-level tweaks for basic date formatting, WPS Office offers a seamless, intuitive experience for all your document, spreadsheet, and presentation needs. It is fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats, incredibly lightweight, and completely free.
- 1. Open WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open a new Writer document to start designing your layout.
- 2. Access the Insert Tab: Navigate to the 'Insert' tab located on the top ribbon menu.
- 3. Insert Formatted Date: Click 'Date and Time', select your preferred format (like DD-MM-YYYY) directly from the application's standalone list, and click OK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't DD-MM-YYYY available in Publisher by default?
Publisher relies entirely on your Windows regional settings for its date options. If your Windows short date is set to a different format, such as MM/DD/YYYY, Publisher will only display variations based on that specific system setting.
Do I need to restart my computer after changing the regional date format?
No, you do not need to restart your computer or even the Publisher document itself. Just close and reopen the Date and Time window within Publisher, and the new format will instantly become available.
How can I get a time format with a leading zero (e.g., 05:45 AM) in Publisher?
Just like date formats, time formats depend on your Windows regional configurations. To enforce a leading zero, navigate to the 'Time' tab in the Windows Region Additional Settings and change the short time format to 'hh:mm tt'.
