About the Xps file format
- Name
- XML Paper Specification File
- Extension
- .xps
- Format
- Binary
- Category
- Document
- Developer
- Microsoft
- Description
- An XPS file is a document that contains fixed page layout information written in the XPS page description language. It defines the layout, appearance, and printing information for a document. XPS files are similar to .PDF files, but saved in Microsoft’s proprietary XPS format.
- MIME Type
- application/vnd.ms-xpsdocument
- Sample
- sample.xps
- Wikipedia
- .xps on Wikipedia
XML Paper Specification (XPS) was developed by Microsoft to define the content and structure of a document. In 2009, it was adopted as international standard ECMA-388 by Ecma International. Its documents are very similar to Adobe PDF format but supported by Microsoft Windows and Office.
XPS specifies the page layout and appearance of a page using XML markup. It also comes with well-structured rules on how to archive, render, distribute, process, and print the page. It supports transparency, printer calibrations, CMYK color spaces, color gradients, and print schemas.
Also, it supports Windows Color System (WCS) technology making it possible to get color consistency across various hardware and software. As a result, the XPS format gives you a device-independent visual document appearance.
It’s a ZIP archive container with files that make up a document. Windows 7 and earlier versions use the .xps file extension while Windows 8 and later use .oxpx file extension. The two are incompatible and trying to open .xps files on Windows 8/10 results to an error.
An XPS Viewer for Windows Vista and newer Windows versions can be used to view XPS files. It specifies XPS file permissions and digitally signs the document.