Have you heard of a XPS documents, But don't you know what it is? Keep reading, because in this article we will talk about its meaning, as well as its relationship with the PDF format and more.
Create files from any Microsoft program, in XML Paper Specification format.
XPS documents
Basically a XPS document It is the one that allows you to create files from any Windows program, specifically those that belong to Microsoft. In this regard, the only requirement is that these can be printed through these applications.
On the other hand, recognizing a XPS document It is quite simple, since its termination corresponds to the XML Paper Specification format, that is, its extension is .xps. However, it is important to mention that a document of this type can only be viewed if we have the specialized XPS Viewer program.
What does it mean for an XPS document to be in the XML Paper Specification format?
Understanding these types of technicalities is not always easy, but do not worry, because below we will explain it to you in the simplest way possible. In general, XML Paper Specification is a format that establishes the visual characteristics of a document, as well as the conditions for filing, processing and printing it.
In other words, XML Paper Specification is an open format that supports preset documents, keeping the fidelity of the content intact. Additionally, it has an excellent color management technology, which offers better image quality.
What is XPS Viewer?
In general terms, XPS Viewer is a program from which we can open, read, edit and share any type of document with an .xps extension. Additionally, it allows us to open more than one page simultaneously, use the Zoom settings, configure access permissions, print the document from the Web, among other useful functions.
In this regard, it is necessary to note that this program comes, by default, within the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 operating system, from where it is installed automatically. However, if this is the case, we can also download it from Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008.
What is the advantage of an XPS document?
In principle, the main advantage of a XPS document is that it allows to keep the original content and the format of any type of document that is saved under the XML Paper Specification format. Additionally, as we have just mentioned, we can read it, compress it, share it and even print it from the Web, as long as we have the compatible resources.
What does an XPS document have to do with a PDF?
Due to the similarities between the two types of files, many people tend to confuse them; but the truth is that they tend to be competition. Furthermore, the fact that a XPS document It is compatible with a smaller number of printers and operating systems than a PDF, which places it at a clear disadvantage compared to the second.
In such a way that the solution to this problem is in the use of so-called virtual printers, which are nothing but a means to create documents in PDF format, without the need to print on physical paper. This is how, then, we can establish a relationship between an XPS document and a PDF.
In this regard, in practice, all we have to do is select the document from any reader for XPS files and that is compatible with the virtual printer that we have installed. Next, we choose the option Print from said printer and save the new document on our computer.
For more information on this, I invite you to read the article called: ¿How to make a PDF file correctly without programs ?.
External applications
Additionally, if we do not have a virtual printer, at present, it is possible to find in the market different programs specialized in the conversion of XPS documents to PDF. Among the most prominent, we can mention the following:
XPS to PDF
The use of this application is completely free, in addition, it does not require download, installation or registration. Moreover, it does not leave a watermark on the converted documents.
So converting a XPS document in a PDF it is extremely simple. In this way, the first thing we must do is go to the application's website, press the Upload button and select each of the documents that we want to convert.
Next, we just have to wait for the conversion process to finish and proceed to download each of the files separately. In this regard, it is important to note that this program allows the simultaneous upload of a maximum of 20 documents, in such a way that at the time of download, we can choose to compress them all in a ZIP file.
Convertio
Convertio is an online document converter, which we can use for free and easily. To do this, all you have to do is open the application from the Web and click on the Select files option.
In this regard, the files can be located in a folder on the computer, in our personal cloud or it can simply be a document contained in a URL. Either way, once we establish its location and the application carries out the upload and conversion process, we can download and save it in the location of our preference.
PDF24Creator
Unlike the two previous applications, PDF24 Creator must be downloaded and installed on our computer. However, it is a free program, easy and simple to use.
In this way, the first step is to download the application from its official website and install it on our computer. Next, from a compatible reader we open the XPS document, we select the Print option and save the new PDF file in the location of our preference.
In this regard, it is important to mention that what this application does is install a virtual printer on our computer. So that we can print a XPS document in a practical and simple way, converting it before in PDF format.
However, in the following video you can see how to open XPS files without resorting to third-party applications.