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The XPS file format

This is Microsoft’s new electronic paper format, an alternative to the PDF format. Office 2007 supports 'Save As' to both of these formats via Add-ins, download 'Save As PDF or XPS' here.

For more details on the XPS file format, see Jeff Bell's blog post:

Unlike the Office Open XML Formats, XPS does not attempt to capture the full structured richness of an Office document. As an electronic paper format, it is all about a high fidelity representation of the output only. Because of this, creation of an XPS document from Office is a one-way, export operation.

Update: 26th April 2008

As there seems to be a lot of interests in the XPS file format by Microsoft, I thought I would add more details and useful links to this blog posting.

How do I open a XPS file? / How do I create XPS file?

XPS Viewer comes preinstalled with Vista, for older OS you need to download the XPS Viewer here http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/xps/viewxps.mspx

Useful tip 1:

Save a web page as a single .XPS file

prerequisite: XPS Document Writer - allows "Print to file" to save a webpage as a XPS file. If you are not running Vista then you either need to install .Net Framework 3.0 or XPS essential pack.

I use this method when I can't save a web page as a html/mht format, usually you know when a web page cannot be saved as html when you get the following warning dialog box:

Method to save a webpage even if you see this dialog.

 

So instead of trying to save as html/mht, I would do a "print to file" using the Microsoft XPS Document writer printer driver. Printing a webpage works more often than saving a webpage. Long gone are the days when you have to take ridiculous number of steps to create a PDF file, this method of saving to XPS does not require Adobe Acrobat Distiller, GhostScript etc. as the webpage you see gets saved directly to XPS file which can be opened and printed later using a XPS viewer such as IE7.

Save webpage as XPS file by printing to XPS Document writer

 

Clicking on print allows you to save the displayed webpage as a XPS file.

Printing to XPS Document Writer is like "Print to file" operation

 

Now you can open the XPS file for later printing in your favourite XPS viewer application such as IE7:

Webpage in XPS file format for later printing

 

posted @ Monday, October 31, 2005 9:17 AM

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Comments on this entry:

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Per at 4/19/2007 4:43 AM
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I don't think this .xps makes the life better and easier...

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Use PDF at 4/19/2007 3:58 PM
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Is there a point to using XPS over PDF? XPS is not portable.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by lulz at 5/10/2007 5:32 AM
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xps is stuck into ms, pdf isn't by default

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Bon Jovi at 5/15/2007 1:48 AM
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xps sucks ass

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Jamcaan at 5/28/2007 5:08 PM
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what a terrible file xps! this is not the files we used to used to know

# re: The XPS file format

Left by tatopolos at 5/28/2007 8:54 PM
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Very poor, and I hope it will not get success between ignorants

# re: The XPS file format

Left by CodeHulk at 5/31/2007 12:02 PM
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On the contray, xps is portable. Its xml. It is not widely supported right now but will be soon. It is going to make my life a lot easier, I was charged with the task of automating the conversion from an office document to PDF on a server which causes lots of trouble. I can convert it to XPS much easier. And if you don't like this format than you should send your concerns to adobe as there new mars project is based on the same ZIP, XML concept.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Curt at 6/11/2007 2:28 AM
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How do you read a .xps file? I've installed Office 2007 and I'm trying to read an .xps, but I keep getting errors that the file is unreadable.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by cikka at 6/13/2007 4:13 AM
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i have some work which was saved on XPS by mistake and i need to add on to it...how can i do that?????

# re: The XPS file format

Left by richardlpalmer at 7/6/2007 9:32 AM
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You can't add on to an xps document. The whole point is that it's NOT the full doc/docx file, it's just what the final file looks like. So instead of having all the formating, tabulature, etc. data being stored in the file, it's simply the look of the final file (this is the very definition of electronic paper).

Think of it like an ezine page. You can't "add on" to an ezine page -- it's just a piece of electronic paper. You'd need the source files that created that page (Illustrator, Quark, etc.). But that file might be huge! However, in pdf/xps format it would look perfect and be quite small.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by mssupporter at 7/16/2007 7:37 PM
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Ive tried it and it stinks. Its is decent with microsofts own products, but thats it

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Elamae at 7/26/2007 6:33 AM
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So XPS is strictly for viewing how a document would look if it were printed but is not editable in any way. It can be output to a printer-- is that correct? So if someone wanted to change the document they would have to go to the source file. What if the XPS document were printed and then scanned back to my PC. Is there any way I could edit it then , perhaps by associating it with the original application that created it?

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Alan White at 7/31/2007 8:13 AM
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There is a XPS file viewer on Microsoft web site (XPS Viewer EP)
Go on !

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Paul Elrick at 7/31/2007 11:58 AM
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Is there a good method of organizing hundres of .xps files into a data base?

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Spoof at 8/7/2007 12:02 AM
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thanks for the info!

# re: The XPS file format

Left by John at 9/18/2007 7:18 AM
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XPS is a great format for securing and authenticating documents. If you own Office 2007, you already own everything you need to create secure, digitally signed documents that can be shared with a variety of document rights on the network or via email.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by vinod at 9/25/2007 7:16 AM
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thanx 4 de in4mation

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Craig at 9/26/2007 2:55 AM
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If it's xml, how come I need a special reader? It's not xml cause if it were, I could open it up in notepad and read the markup - so it's NOT xml. Also, it's bad enough forcing another format on us, but to put together articles with code downloads and to find a readme.xps file is simply stupid. So microsoft has you guys forcing us to adopt this when all we wanted to do was look at any special instructions before installing a code sample. It stinks. And for you guys to be a part of it, makes it stink even more. Case in point: http://blogs.msdn.com/mwinkle/archive/2007/01/24/tracking-objects-and-querying-for-them.aspx

I deleted the archive and did not install the sample after being forced to download another tool to read the readme file. I moved on to other samples by people not on the blogs.msdn sub domain as I fear you guys will never be objective. I should have known better.

# I Give It Time

Left by Clinton Gallagher at 10/11/2007 4:21 PM
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There is support for vector file management in the XPS specification. This will mean people who work with CAD can have documents that are resizable at runtime which drastically effects productivity.

For example parts of the document can be printed at 1/8" = 1'-0" and another at 1/2" = 1'-0" noting both architectural and engineering units are supported in both English and Metric systems.

This is a big deal for some people. Even though Adobe has years of experience and existing products I'm working with them right now and they are no picnic nor is writing code for fillable PDF a picnic either.

Someday Microsoft will supercede PDF as they know how to architect languages and applications better than most other vendors and this applies to Adobe. But in the meantime? Yup, its really FUBAR

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Ryan at 10/27/2007 7:02 PM
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tnx a lot guys for the great info.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Rowan at 11/8/2007 6:01 PM
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If your default browser is Firefox an interesting thing will happen when opening an .xps file...it will keep opening new tabs untill your memory runs out, and if you try to close Firefox it will open it up again and start the tab opening process.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Madison at 11/21/2007 4:21 AM
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Craig wrote: "It's not xml cause if it were, I could open it up in notepad and read the markup - so it's NOT xml."

XPS files are actually ZIP archives that contain XML files. Just change the ".xps" to ".zip" and open it to see the XML.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Tony Walton at 11/30/2007 4:24 AM
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Get a MAC. You can print anything directly to a .PDF by default! Just part of the brilliance of MAC ;)

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Gtec at 1/2/2008 2:30 AM
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Use another simple software, like primoPDF. It is free and you can print in a PDF file wich is better and portable.

XPS sucks!

# re: The XPS file format

Left by kiran at 1/9/2008 6:38 PM
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which is the tool reqd to open this .xps

# re: The XPS file format

Left by brooktrout40 at 1/22/2008 10:01 AM
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WHY CAN'T I PRINT MY XPS FILE!!!?????!!!!!!!!!
i NEED EMITOCONS TO FITFULLY EXPRESS MY COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT IN TECHNOLOGIES INEPTITUDE. hOW DOES IT WORK????????????

# re: The XPS file format

Left by mosaic at 1/31/2008 9:11 PM
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In a pure MS environment, XPS might help to saveg space when archiving documents - at least in the short term, until MS stops supporting it ... :o)
My mcp transcript is available as a 500KB XPS file, and a 10MB PDF file - quite a difference.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by ASH at 2/11/2008 1:14 PM
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How do I print an xps file? How do I convert an xps document to Word to make my life easier? Somehow, someone turned all my Word documents to XPS documents and I am in trouble now. How do I delete this thing from my computer? Help!

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Spenser at 2/28/2008 3:28 AM
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I concur, this sucks. Why not .pdf? Oh yeah, MS doesn't own Adobe...

# re: The XPS file format

Left by EJ at 3/7/2008 7:17 AM
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML_Paper_Specification

Good info

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Betty at 3/10/2008 10:11 AM
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I am trying to save a microsoft word document and it keeps wanting me to save it in .xps which I have never heard of until now. How do I get back to saving in microsoft word?

Thanks

# re: The XPS file format

Left by John at 3/12/2008 2:33 PM
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How can I read an .xps file from an application?

# re: The XPS file format

Left by mike at 3/15/2008 4:31 AM
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Great - PDF monopoly shall be killed anyway - PDF broke many people who has little money - XPS is free. Welcome microsoft - you are great as long as not sucking off our blood further

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Dan at 3/18/2008 12:10 AM
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Guys...stop whinning.... this is....the future!
You can create an xps, add doc, jpeg, tiff files to it programaticly, you can add metadata(has more features than pdf/a), which is very good for a document register, and if you have more different files you can create one xps and print it easy from code, you don`t have to do a different type of print for every type of file

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Just Me at 3/23/2008 3:16 PM
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What was wrong with the Microsoft Image writer/viewer application?

If they need to change the underlying file to XPS (XML), then fine add it to the list with .MSI and .TIF

# re: The XPS file format

Left by mhadheb at 4/6/2008 12:37 AM
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XPS !!!!! it's no need.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Juan Valle Lisboa at 4/14/2008 7:55 AM
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Another attempt by Microsoft to become a monopoly. Do yourself a favor and use linux. If you want wysiwyg applications use Openoffice, which has an xml format that is open an public and neat, and you can create your own pdfs. Otherwise, latex is much better than wysiwyg and you can get professional printing, once you're accustomed to it.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by cc at 4/21/2008 11:54 AM
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The only reason for xps is MS greed... don't buy it, it is not meant to make your life easier... it's meant for ensuring MS control over your office resources and furthering its monopoly.

I agree, switch to Linux and don't let yourself be manipulated by MS...

# WARNING: Ignorant Comm. at Critical Mass

Left by RocksTar at 4/24/2008 8:44 PM
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For the XP-peeps: MS says "...get started with XPS documents in earlier versions of Windows...To learn more about the features of XPS: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/xps.mspx ..."
The following (albeit, Microsoft rhetoric) is a perfectly valid statement, and IMHO, quite encouraging: The XML Paper Specification itself is platform independent, openly published, and available royalty-free and Microsoft has integrated XPS-based technologies into Microsoft Windows Vista operating system and the 2007 Microsoft Office system. Microsoft brings additional document value to its customers, partners, and the computing industry through the XPS-based technologies.

Yo, have you ever heard of something called the Acrobat Reader? Did THAT software come w/ your box? Hmmm? Tell me about the last time you received a PDF which, with a few mods of your own (e.g. images, new Form components for collecting sample data) you were able to initiate an important survey campaign in your next mailing, all with zero software investment, start to finish-- all an afternoon's work.
That's a tale, I believe, many of us would like to hear. No? :-)

Neither men, nor gods might accomplish said task under current *nix, X-Server 'wares -- even 15 years since the PDF's introduction, I expect the Penguins who know, know to save their breath.

Great commentary on a hot topic is beautiful. It's the chants from the bandwagon, so many misdirected which frightens me.

# re: The XPS file format, PDF, &#38; Adobe

Left by RocksTar at 4/24/2008 9:22 PM
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"...I know young boys, they all want to be Bad,
dont think it's better to be a genius..."
-- Perry Ferrell

Educate Thyself, for thyself, by thyself, so that thinking too will be done by thyself. Afterward, please consider sharing any convictions you might then own unto thyself.

http://blogs.msdn.com/andy_simonds/archive/2006/06/02/XPSAdobe.aspx

Because modularity, scalability, and extensibility shall dictate who will rise, and who is doomed to fall, Our Future, inherently, may leave no place for NIH Syndrome (and its variations).

Try to think beyond Google-- don't search through "Labs"-- be your OWN "lab". Embrace, and MASTER what those whose resources can put before you. Take these tools, usher in something new, and thus the process repeats...

(sorry for the dual post, but i wanted to share that URL. Enjoy.)

# re: The XPS file format - updated 26 April 2008

Left by abdelrazk at 5/2/2008 8:42 PM
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voliom

# re: The XPS file format

Left by mikko at 7/26/2008 12:58 AM
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xps!! got a hard time on this one..

# re: The XPS file format

Left by mister at 7/27/2008 1:51 PM
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is there any way to change the format of the XPS file?

# re: The XPS file format

Left by jkim at 7/28/2008 4:30 AM
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We do PDF surveys all the time. it takes our admin , oh 5 minutes to set one up. You spent ALL AFTERNOON to make a survey with XPS? So you could save the $150 price of Acrobat Pro? ROFL.

And to the MCP guy with a 10Mb PDF, and 500k XPS - Microsoft does that on purpose to show you how 'superior' XPS is. Open your PDF, print it using (Free) cutepdf and the file will shrink down to, oh, about 500k...

If MSFT can include XPS writer in XP, why can't they include a viewer?

PDF: Open, free, easy.
XPS:open until we say it is, free unless we change our mind, easy as long as you are 100% microsoft top to bottom - and everyone you email is as well (no firefox, no yahoo email...)
and they are all on Vista...

# re: The XPS file format

Left by WCWedin at 8/5/2008 3:17 AM
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"Oh yeah, MS doesn't own Adobe..."

Actually, MS was going to build PDF support directly into Office 2007, but Adobe sued them for it -- Adobe was making too much money selling Acrobat Pro. MS still offers this ability, but as a separate download. Who's the greedy, evil corporation here? Both of them. And yet, they both produced comparable e-paper standards and submitted them for ISO standardization. What are you complaining about?

# re: The XPS file format

Left by tuldok89 at 9/9/2008 12:00 AM
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Compared to the PDF format, XPS sucks. One disadvantage is that XPS files are so damn big compared to PDF. I had a 1MB PDF, when converted to XPS, the file size swells up to 10MB!

# re: The XPS file format

Left by CarlB at 9/18/2008 4:46 PM
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You can use the free Brava reader to open, read, and print XPS files (among others). Get it at:
http://www.bravaviewer.com/reader.htm

# re: The XPS file format

Left by TW at 9/29/2008 3:11 PM
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Free Brava reader is definitely the way to go. MS XPS Viewer for XP sucks. All I wanted was an owners manual to view/print and the company rep. sent it as a .xps file. What a nightmare just to view and print with the MS XPS viewer. Had to download a bunch of other BS just to use it and when I tried to print the pages they where cut off and when I tried to resize them to fit the paper the text was too small. I would have preferred a .pdf file but now knowing about Brava, MS can take a long walk on a short pier.

# re: The XPS file format

Left by Kate at 10/2/2008 12:14 AM
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Hi, Two of my work colleagues received an attachement from someone within the company, and it is xps. The computers have gone on the blink, flickering, with small rectangluar black shadows all over the screen. They have tried re-booting it, and are having no luck. One is Vista and one is XP. Can anyone help?
Thanks.

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