Opening Existing Projects

You can open an existing project using one of the following methods:

  • Open the project from within the ePublisher Express or ePublisher Designer user interface.

  • Open the project from Windows Explorer by double-clicking the project file in the folder where you saved the project.

By default ePublisher saves project files in the following locations:

  • ePublisher saves ePublisher Express project files in the Documents\ePublisher Express Projects\<ProjectName> folder, where ProjectName is the name of the project. ePublisher Express project files use the .wrp file extension.

  • ePublisher saves ePublisher Designer project files in the Documents\ePublisher Designer Projects\<ProjectName> folder, where UserName is the name of the user account running ePublisher Express and ProjectName is the name of the project. ePublisher Designer project files use the .wep file extension.

When you open an existing project, ePublisher opens a separate instance of the ePublisher for each project, and each project has its own window. For example, if you have ProjectA open, and then you decide to open a project called ProjectB, ePublisher opens up a new instance of ePublisher for the new project and you have two ePublisher instances with ProjectA and ProjectB open concurrently on your computer.

When you double-click a project file in Windows Explorer, Windows opens it in the product registered for that file type. Since 2026.1, an ePublisher Express project file (.wrp) opens in ePublisher Express when ePublisher Express is installed, and in ePublisher Designer when it is not, so double-clicking a project always opens a product that can work in it. When both products are installed, ePublisher Designer also appears in the Open with list for ePublisher Express project files, so you can send an individual project to ePublisher Designer without changing which product Windows opens these files in by default. An ePublisher Designer project file (.wep) always opens in ePublisher Designer.

To open an existing project

  1. If you want to open an existing project from within ePublisher Express or ePublisher Designer, complete the following actions:

    1. In ePublisher, on the File menu, click Open.

    2. Browse to the location of the project file you want to open.

    3. Select the project file you want to open, and then click Open.

  2. If you want to open an existing project using Windows Explorer, complete the following steps:

    1. In Windows Explorer, browse to the location of the ePublisher project file you want to open.

    2. Double-click the ePublisher project file.

Opening a Stationery File

Stationery is not a project. It is the template projects are based on, in the same way a document template is the basis for a new document rather than a document you edit. Since 2026.1, ePublisher treats it that way when you open one: opening a Stationery file (.wxsp) starts the New Project window with that Stationery already selected in the Stationery or Designer project field, leaving only the project name, location, and source documents for you to specify. Both ePublisher Express and ePublisher Designer behave this way, and every way of opening the file behaves the same, whether you double-click the Stationery in Windows Explorer, pass it on the command line, or select it in the Open window.

Note: The Open window lists project files, so a Stationery file does not appear in the list in ePublisher Designer. Type the name of the Stationery file to select it, or double-click the Stationery in Windows Explorer instead.

Opening a Stationery file does not modify the Stationery. If you need to change what a Stationery contains, open the Stationery design project the Stationery was saved from, make your changes there, and save the Stationery again. For more information, see Managing and Updating Stationery.

If the file you select is not valid Stationery, the New Project window reports the problem and waits for a valid selection instead of failing to open.

To create a project by opening a Stationery file

  1. In Windows Explorer, browse to the location of the Stationery file.

  2. Double-click the Stationery (.wxsp file). ePublisher displays the New Project window with the Stationery already selected.

  3. Complete the remaining steps in the New Project window. For more information, see Creating Projects Based on Stationery.

Last modified date: 08/17/2026