Free online XPS to PDF converter

A Windows application, submission portal, or archive system may accept PDF files but not XPS documents. Converting the file makes it easier to share, print, search, and open on devices without native XPS support.

What the XPS format is

XPS, or XML Paper Specification, is a fixed-layout document format developed by Microsoft. It preserves page geometry, fonts, vector graphics, and images in an Open Packaging Convention package containing XML parts and related resources; the package is ZIP-based.

XPS files commonly come from Microsoft XPS Document Writer, Windows print workflows, Microsoft Office's Publish as XPS function, and older Windows or .NET applications. Windows can open them with XPS Viewer, but native support is limited on macOS, Linux, mobile devices, and many document-management systems.

What the PDF format is

PDF is a fixed-layout document format standardized as ISO 32000. It is supported by browsers, phones, operating systems, office software, printers, and document-management systems, so it is usually more practical for distribution than XPS.

A PDF can preserve selectable and searchable text, fonts, images, metadata, bookmarks, hyperlinks, encryption, and permission settings. PDF/A is the separate archival subset; converting an XPS file to an ordinary PDF does not automatically create a PDF/A-compliant file.

How to convert an XPS file on Windows

Using XPS Viewer and Microsoft Print to PDF

1. Open the file in XPS Viewer. If it is not installed, open Settings → Apps → Optional features → View features, search for XPS Viewer, and install it. The exact menu labels can vary by Windows release.
2. In XPS Viewer, choose File → Print or press Ctrl+P.
3. Select Microsoft Print to PDF. If it is missing, enable this Windows feature through the Windows Features dialog.
4. Set the paper size and orientation to match the XPS document. Select the required page range and use 100% or Actual size when available instead of a fit-to-page option.
5. Click Print, choose a destination, enter a filename such as document.pdf, and save the file.

This method is a print conversion: Windows renders each XPS page and sends that output to a PDF printer. It does not preserve every XPS-specific feature as an editable PDF object.

Using 101convert.com without installing software

On 101convert.com, open the XPS-to-PDF converter, upload the XPS file, start the conversion, and download the resulting PDF. The service can be used free of charge without installing desktop software. Do not upload confidential, personal, or regulated documents unless the service's storage, processing, and deletion terms satisfy your requirements.

Quality and compatibility checks

Open the saved PDF and inspect every page. A print-based or automated conversion can alter margins, page scaling, line breaks, transparency, image resolution, hyperlinks, annotations, or other interactive features. A malformed XPS package or missing resource can also produce blank areas or substituted fonts.

Text usually remains selectable when the converter creates a text-based PDF, but some converters rasterize pages into images. Rasterized output loses text search and accessibility information and is often larger. If the source contains scanned pages, run OCR separately if searchable text is required.

For exact visual output, retain the source paper size, orientation, and margins, and compare the PDF with the XPS at 100% zoom. If the document is intended for long-term records, validate the result against the required PDF/A profile rather than assuming that any PDF is archival.