What is XPS Document, how to create and open XPS file format

Microsoft loves to make new document formats, and to open it mostly we have to install a software made by Microsoft also, as an example is the DOCX format which requires to have Microsoft Office 2007.

And again Microsoft creating new document format that is XPS file which is an alternative for the PDF document.

What is XPS Document

XPS stands for XML Paper Specification which is a fixed document format similar to Adobe PDF document, its an XAML-based, and standardized as ECMA-388 on June 16, 2009 by ECMA International.

XPS file supported OS

XPS files only supports Windows operating systems, and the minimum supported operating system is Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

On the Vista and Windows 7 operating system , you can open or create XPS documents easily without installing additional software, this is because the printing architecture of both OS uses XPS as the spooler format, and the XPS Viewer is already installed by default.

As with the older operating system like Windows XP, here you have to install additional software so that your operating system supports XPS format. Here are two options you can do if you are using Windows XP or Windows Server 2003:

1. Installing Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 or newer.

The Microsoft XPS Document Writer and IE-hosted XPS Viewer will be automatically installed on your system, but the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 or later only supported the WinXP SP2 and Win2003 SP1 so make sure if your OS has this Service Pack version as the minimum requirement.

2. Installing the XPS Essentials Pack, which includes a standalone XPS Viewer and the XPS Document Writer.

How to open XPS files

To open .XPS file there are so many free software that you can try, even you can also use the XPS Viewer already provided by Microsoft.

Here are ways you can open the XPS document with a variety of conditions:

Open XPS Document in Firefox browser

If you are a user of Firefox, you can try to install the XPS Annotator which is a standalone XPS Viewer. Make sure to read the system requirements before installing it.

Viewing XPS Document on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

If your OS is Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 you can installing the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 or later (i.e. version 3.5).

Open XPS Document in Internet Explorer

To open XPS file in Internet Explorer is simply by drag and drop the XPS file to an open state of the Internet Explorer, and make sure if Internet Explorer is your default browser.

Creating XPS file

To creating XPS files is very easy, by using the print function in every text editor available and when printing it choose the Microsoft XPS Document Writer.

You could try our free XPS document tool, its a standalone viewer and has features that are complete enough to manage your XPS document very easily, from conversion to image file and annotating your XPS document.