XPS (XML Paper Specification) is Microsoft's fixed-layout document format natively supported on every Windows 10 and Windows 11 installation. It opens directly in the built-in XPS Viewer, prints from File Explorer without additional software, and is widely used in Windows-based enterprise printing and archiving workflows. If a system or client requires XPS instead of PDF, this converter handles the full conversion in your browser using PDF.js and a client-side XPS builder, with no file uploaded to any server and no software to install.
How It Works
- Upload your PDF: Drag the file onto the upload area or click to browse. The tool loads the document using PDF.js, renders page previews for visual confirmation, and analyzes the PDF structure locally in your browser. All processing from this point runs entirely on your device with no external server involved.
- Configure conversion options: Choose from six output toggles: Embed Fonts to include all font data in the XPS file, Preserve Hyperlinks to keep clickable URLs active, White Background for a solid page background, Add Page Numbers to insert footer numbering, Grayscale Output to convert the document to black and white, and Compress Images to reduce overall output file size. Set Image Quality from Maximum at 98% down to Compressed at 65%. Choose a Render Scale: 2x for high-DPI retina output, 1.5x for standard quality, or 1x for a faster lower-resolution output. Select All Pages or enter a custom page range using the from and to fields.
- Convert and download: Click Convert to XPS. The tool renders each page, builds the XPS document structure following the Open XML Paper Specification (ECMA-388), and packages the output across five stages: Loading, Rendering, Building XPS, Packaging, and Done. Download the XPS file and open it directly in Windows XPS Viewer or any XPS-compatible application.
Compatibility and Support
Supported Input and Output Formats
- Input: Any standard PDF file including text documents, reports, scanned files, and design exports from any source
- Output: XPS file conforming to the Open XML Paper Specification (ECMA-388), fully compatible with Windows XPS Viewer on Windows 10 and 11, Microsoft Office, and any XPS-capable print driver or viewer
- Page options: Full document conversion or custom page range with from and to fields
- Quality options: Four image quality levels (Maximum 98%, High 92%, Standard 80%, Compressed 65%) and three render scales (1x, 1.5x, 2x)
Unsupported Formats
- Non-PDF input formats: DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, JPG, PNG, and other file types are not accepted. Only PDF files can be used as input for this conversion.
- Password-protected PDFs: Encrypted or locked PDFs cannot be rendered by PDF.js for conversion. Remove the password protection before uploading.
- XPS to other formats: This tool converts PDF to XPS only. Converting from XPS to PDF requires a separate tool.
File Size Limits
All processing runs locally in your browser with no server-imposed file size cap. PDFs with many pages or high-resolution embedded images will take longer to render at 2x scale. For large documents where speed matters more than maximum sharpness, use 1x or 1.5x render scale with Standard or Compressed image quality to reduce processing time.
Who Should Use This Tool?
- Students: A student submitting an assignment to a Windows-based institutional document system that specifically requires XPS format can convert their PDF submission in under a minute without installing any Windows desktop tool.
- Freelancers and Designers: A consultant delivering documentation to a corporate client whose internal document management system ingests XPS files for printing and archiving can produce the correct format from their existing PDF output.
- Office Professionals: A procurement department that archives vendor contracts in XPS format for Windows-native long-term storage can convert received PDF contracts directly without needing Microsoft XPS Document Writer installed.
- Developers: A developer building a Windows document workflow that requires XPS output can use this tool to test conversion quality at different render scales and quality settings before implementing equivalent client-side rendering logic in their application.
Key Features
Here's what separates this tool from generic alternatives:
ECMA-388 Compliant XPS Output
The generated XPS follows the Open XML Paper Specification standard, ensuring compatibility with Windows XPS Viewer, Microsoft Office, and XPS-capable print drivers.
Three Render Scale Options
Choose 1x for fast output, 1.5x for standard screen quality, or 2x high-DPI for retina-sharp rendering on high-resolution displays and print workflows.
Hyperlink Preservation
Enable the Preserve Hyperlinks toggle to keep all clickable URLs and internal document links fully active in the converted XPS output.
Six Conversion Toggles
Control font embedding, hyperlinks, background color, page numbering, grayscale output, and image compression independently for precise output configuration.
Custom Page Range
Convert the full document or specify a custom from and to page range to extract only the pages you need into the XPS output file.
100% Browser-Based Privacy
PDF.js renders pages and the client-side XPS builder packages the output entirely in your browser. Your PDF never leaves your device or reaches any external server.
Why This Tool Beats the Alternatives
- PDF to XPS conversion is not available in most free browser-based PDF tools. It typically requires the Microsoft XPS Document Writer print driver, a paid converter, or a Windows desktop application.
- The six output configuration toggles including font embedding, grayscale, page numbering, and hyperlink preservation give users control that no-frills free converters do not offer.
- Three render scale options (1x, 1.5x, 2x) let you balance output quality against processing speed, a feature absent from basic online conversion utilities that apply a fixed rendering resolution.
- No account creation is required at any step. Competing conversion services that handle XPS output typically require registration or charge per conversion.
- Client-side processing using PDF.js and a browser XPS builder means confidential documents, contracts, and internal reports never pass through a third-party server at any stage.
Pro Tips
- For XPS files destined for high-resolution Windows printing, use 2x render scale with Maximum image quality and enable Embed Fonts. This produces the sharpest possible output when the XPS is sent to a physical printer through the Windows print queue.
- If the output XPS file is only needed for screen viewing in Windows XPS Viewer, use 1.5x render scale with Standard quality. It cuts processing time and file size noticeably while keeping text and images sharp at normal zoom levels.
- To convert in the opposite direction and bring an XPS file back to PDF, use the XPS to PDF tool, which handles the reverse conversion in the same browser-based workflow.
Upload your PDF above and configure the render scale and output options to start the XPS conversion. For converting to other fixed-layout formats, the PDF to PostScript tool covers print-oriented format output in the same workflow.