Office Settings & Configuration

How to Set Default Page Size and Measurement Units in Microsoft Publisher

Bushra Parveen Oct 9, 2026 872 views

Question details

The user needs Microsoft Publisher to consistently use A4 page size and millimeter measurement units, particularly when creating new documents via the Windows right-click context menu.

How to Set the Default Page Size and Measurement Units in Microsoft Publisher

Product: Microsoft Publisher
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Creating a new Microsoft Publisher document from the Windows right-click New menu on the desktop or inside File Explorer.
Observed behavior: New Publisher documents created via the Windows right-click menu default to Letter size and inches, ignoring the A4 and millimeter preferences configured inside the Publisher application.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrative privileges on your Windows computer, as modifying default templates and system registry values requires appropriate permissions.

Solution 1Recommended

Set Default Preferences and Create a Custom Template

Configure the baseline measurement units in Publisher and save a custom A4 template to standardize your new documents.

Open Publisher Options

Launch Microsoft Publisher from your Start menu or desktop. Click on 'File' in the top-left corner of the interface and select 'Options' at the bottom of the menu.

Adjust Advanced Settings

In the Publisher Options dialog box, navigate to the 'Advanced' tab on the left pane. Scroll to the 'General' section, change the measurement units to 'Millimeters', and verify that the page size is set to 'A4'. Click 'OK' to save.

Save a Custom Template

Create a new document with your preferred A4 and mm settings. Go to 'File' > 'Save As', choose a destination, and select 'Publisher Template (*.PUB)' from the 'Save as type' dropdown list.

Set as Default Template

Go back to 'File' > 'Options' > 'Advanced'. Under the 'General' section, click the 'Browse' button next to 'Default personal templates location'. Select your newly saved template file and click 'OK'.

Set Default Preferences and Create a Custom Template

Solution 2

Update Registry Settings for Right-Click New Documents

Use this method if documents created from the Windows right-click 'New' menu still bypass your application settings and default to Letter size and inches.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the right-click 'New Publisher Document' use different settings than the main app?

Documents created via the Windows right-click context menu rely on default Windows shell templates rather than the application's internal default settings. This is why changing preferences in Publisher options doesn't always apply to documents created directly from the desktop, requiring a registry tweak to sync them.

How do I backup my Windows registry before making changes?

To backup the registry, open the Registry Editor (regedit), click on 'File' in the top menu bar, and select 'Export'. Choose a safe location on your drive, ensure the 'Export range' at the bottom is set to 'All', and save the .reg file. You can restore it later by simply double-clicking this exported file.

Can I set the default measurement unit to inches instead of millimeters in the registry?

Yes. If you are modifying the registry for US standard sizes, set the 'Measurement Units' string value data to 'in' or 'inches' instead of 'mm', and set the 'Page Size' string value data to 'Letter' instead of 'A4'.

What should I do if the 'New Document' key already exists in the registry?

If the 'New Document' key is already present under the Publisher registry path, do not create a new one. Simply select the existing 'New Document' key and add or modify the 'Page Size' and 'Measurement Units' string values within that folder.

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