Convert XPS to PDF: The Ultimate Guide
26 May 2024 Senior Product Manager
Summary
Learn how to convert XPS to PDF easily. Discover offline and online conversion methods in this comprehensive article. Explore what an XPS file is.
Table of contents
XPS is the abbreviation of XML Paper Specification, an electronic file format developed by Microsoft Corporation. It is a specification for document storage and viewing, and a page description language that describes single pages or documents with multiple pages. It includes text, graphics, and tables displayed on the page. Like PDF, XPS defines page elements independently of the operating system, printer, or viewing application, ensuring consistent page appearance across devices. XPS files are commonly used for sharing and archiving various materials that require routine printing and saving, such as memos, contracts, reports, web pages, and online receipts.
The XPS format, developed by Microsoft to replace PDF, has not received much attention since its introduction in Windows Vista. To open an XPS file in Windows, the fastest way is to use the XPS Viewer included in Windows Vista and newer versions. However, it’s important to note that XPS files are not supported on the Mac operating system and many programs. In comparison, PDF files are more widely supported, being accessible on Macs, mobile devices, and various programs.
Developed by Adobe Systems, the PDF file format serves as a platform for file exchange that ensures independence from applications, operating systems, and hardware. Based on the PostScript language image model, PDF files guarantee accurate colors and printing effects regardless of the printer used. These files flawlessly reproduce every character, color, and image from the original document.
XPS and PDF files, although use comparable technologies for document sharing and preservation, exhibit prominent differences. PDF files are cross-platform, compatible with a diverse range of operating systems, including PDAs, Macs, PCs, and Unix/Linux. On the other hand, XPS files are limited to Windows operating systems only.
Moreover, PDF enjoys the advantage of superior development and technical support. Microsoft has ceased updating and providing support for the XPS format. Furthermore, PDFs offer more editing options in comparison to XPS files.
Converting an XPS file to PDF may not work on some devices. The following will introduce a variety of offline and online methods to convert XPS files. Their operations are relatively simple, and you can choose the method that suits you best.
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Universal Document Converter stands as a remarkable virtual printer tool, proficient in converting any file to PDF without hassle. Should you require a virtual printer for PDF production, we recommend trying the Universal Document Converter. This innovative software transforms not just XPS files to PDF, but also supports a wide array of formats, including BMP, DCX, GIF, JPEG, PCX, PNG, and TIFF. With the utilization of advanced image quantization algorithms, it guarantees to uphold the original image quality of the converted files.
The steps are as follows:
① Download and install the Universal Document Converter software. Then open the XPS file to be converted to PDF, and click (File) > (Print).
② In the opened window, select (Universal Document Converter), and click (Preferences).
③ In order to convert XPS to PDF, first, navigate to the File Format option and select PDF Document. Subsequently, you may adjust the various properties of your PDF file such as paper size, page orientation, resolution, along with cropping and resizing based on your preferences. Finally, to finalize the conversion from XPS to PDF, click on the OK button, followed by the Print button.
Utilize the DocuFreezer software for an efficient conversion of multiple XPS files to PDF simultaneously. This software caters to numerous document formats such as PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, and TXT. It is also equipped with OCR text recognition feature, allowing you to generate searchable PDF or TXT files. Owing to its user-friendly interface, it proves to be an excellent choice for beginners.
The steps are as follows:
① Install and open DocuFreezer software, click (Add files) or (Add folder) to add XPS files, or directly drag and drop XPS files into the software window.
② Select (PDF) in “Output file type” and select a folder to save the output file in “Output folder”. Finally, click the (Start) button to execute the format conversion command.
In the December 2018 release of Adobe Acrobat for Acrobat DC, Acrobat 2017, and Acrobat 2015 Classic, the feature to convert XPS files to PDF was disabled. However, you can perform this conversion by creating a registry key in Windows. Note the following script or console commands.
The steps are as follows:
① First, install and open Adobe Acrobat software. Quit the Adobe Acrobat application if it is already running.
② Press the (Windows+R) key on the keyboard at the same time, enter (regedit.exe) in the opened input box, and click (OK) to open the Registry Editor.
③ In Registry Editor, depending on the version of the product you have installed, go to the following version-specific location and create the “FeatureState” key there; this registry key may not exist by default.
- Acrobat DC (Continuous) Location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\(Wow6432Node)\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\FeatureState
- Acrobat DC (Classic – Acrobat 2017) Location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\(Wow6432Node)\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\2017\FeatureState
- Acrobat DC (Classic – Acrobat 2015) Location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\(Wow6432Node)\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\2015\FeatureState
④ Below FeatureState, create a DWORD type item and name it BlockXPSParsing. Change the value of this key to 0 (zero).
Note:
When the value of BlockXPSParsing is:
- 0: Enables XPS to PDF conversion in Acrobat
- 1: Indicates that XPS to PDF conversion is disabled in Acrobat
⑤ Finally, close the Registry Editor.
This is a bit more complicated than the other solutions, and editing your computer’s registry can be dangerous, so be careful when using this method. If you’re not sure how to do this, check out the other methods described above.
If you’re hesitant about downloading conversion software, don’t worry, there are plenty of online conversion tools at your disposal. These platforms can adeptly convert XPS files to PDF. Do note, the efficiency of conversion is reliant on both the strength of your internet connection and the size of the file. Here are four frequently utilized online tools for XPS to PDF conversion:
The XPStoPDF online conversion tool presents a user-friendly interface for efficient transmutation of XPS documents into PDF format. This complimentary tool abstains from any requirements for registration, installation, or watermarking of the converted files. It further extends support for batch conversion, allowing up to 20 files per upload.
Online conversion link: https://xpstopdf.com/
The steps are as follows:
① Open the conversion link in the browser, click the (upload file) button, and select the XPS file to be converted.
② After uploading, the file will be converted automatically. After that, you can click (Download All) to download the PDF file to your computer.
Aconvert serves as a convenient, complimentary online resource for transforming a multitude of file formats. These include documents, e-books, images, videos, audios, and compressed files. This intuitive platform facilitates effortless conversion of XPS to PDF, offering batch conversion capabilities by enabling the upload of up to 10 XPS documents at the same time. Note, however, that each XPS document should not surpass a size of 40MB.
Online conversion link: https://www.aconvert.com/pdf/
The steps are as follows:
① Visit the Aconvert conversion site and choose between the File or Link button, based on the location of the file for conversion. If the file is local, click on the Choose File button to upload it. If the file is online, simply input the appropriate file link.
② Select (PDF) in the target format, and click the (Start Conversion) button to start converting the XPS file. After that, the output file will be listed under “Conversion Results”.
Zamzar online conversion tool offers a simple conversion process for XPS to PDF files. It supports various formats including EPUB, DOC, JPG, JPEG, CR2, CRW, HTML, ODP, TXT, PDF, CSV, DWG, GIF, etc. Batch conversion is supported. However, receiving the converted file via email may take a while.
Online conversion link: https://www.zamzar.com/
The steps are as follows:
① After opening the conversion link in the browser, click (Add Flies) to upload the XPS file to be converted.
② Then select convert to (pdf) in “Convert To”, and click (Convert Now) to start converting the file. Finally, click (Download) to download the PDF file to your computer.
Online-Convert.com provides a comprehensive solution for file conversion supporting a plethora of formats including XPS to PDF, audio, image, and video files. An added feature is its OCR text recognition function, which offers unprecedented convenience and customization for users, catering to their specific needs.
Online conversion link: https://document.online-convert.com/convert/xps-to-pdf
The steps are as follows:
① After opening the conversion link in the browser, click (Choose Files) to upload the XPS file to be converted.
② Click (Start conversion) to start converting files. After the conversion is complete, the PDF file will be downloaded automatically.
Transforming XPS to PDF enhances file storage and transmission efficiency. Yet, to alter the PDF content, it’s necessary to convert it into an editable format. Moreover, for tasks such as splitting, merging, or encrypting documents, make use of Renee PDF Aide.
For optimal conversion of PDF to Word, Excel, JPG, and other document or image formats, use Renee PDF Aide. Offering superior conversion quality than its competitors, Renee PDF Aide is a comprehensive PDF conversion and editing tool that boasts of a user-friendly interface and straightforward operations. With the ability to convert PDF to Word at an astonishing speed of 80 pages per minute, this software sets itself apart. Additionally, it supports conversion to other formats such as Excel, PowerPoint, ePub, Text, HTML, and Image formats.
Renee PDF Aide comes with an integrated OCR feature that rapidly identifies and converts scanned PDFs or image content into editable document formats. In addition, it offers extra functionalities like splitting, merging, optimizing, repairing, encrypting, and decrypting PDF files.
Supported operating systems: Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP/2000 (32-bit and 64-bit versions).
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Easy Use with simple steps
Functional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
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① After installing Renee PDF Aide, open it. Select (Convert PDF).
② Take converting to Word as an example, please click (Word) in the top menu bar, and then select the save location of the target document.
③ Click the (Add Files) button to add the PDF file to be converted. After the file is successfully added, the information of the file to be converted will be displayed in the conversion list, click (select page) to set the page for file conversion.
Tips
To convert a scanned PDF to text, select the ‘Enable OCR’ option. The software provides three text recognition modes:
- Image or PDF Scan Text Recognition: This mode presumes that the text is within the image or scanned PDF. The software engages the OCR function to recognize and output the text. Opting for the relevant language boosts accuracy.
- Built-in Font Recognition: This mode presumes that the text uses embedded fonts on the PDF page. The software converts these fonts into images and utilizes the OCR function to recognize and output the text. Opting for the relevant language boosts accuracy.
- Combined Mode (slower): This mode automatically identifies whether the text is an image or uses an embedded PDF font. The software then converts and exports the text. However, this mode is time-consuming, resulting in prolonged conversion times.
④ Press the Convert button to start the conversion process. Upon completion, the software will display both the total and successful conversions. At this point, your PDF has been successfully transformed into a Word document.
Renee PDF Aide is a comprehensive tool for managing your PDF files without the need for conversion to Word. It provides capabilities for optimization, splitting, and merging among other editing operations. Its robust “PDF Tools” module efficiently caters to a wide range of editing needs.
Initiate Renee PDF Aide and opt for the PDF Tools to avail personalized PDF editing features such as repair, optimization, split, merge, rotate, encrypt/decrypt, watermark, and image to PDF conversion. Implement batch operations to edit multiple PDF files simultaneously for enhanced productivity. The intuitive interface of this software simplifies the editing process, making it effortless to navigate. Click on Convert to save the edited files in a preferred directory.
PDF Tools Provides Advanced Editing Features:
- Repair: Mends corrupted or inoperative PDF files.
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- Rotation: Alters the viewing angle of the PDF file.
- Encryption & Decryption: Provides encryption for PDF files and decryption for those that are password-secured.
- Watermark: Incorporates foreground or background watermarks to PDF files, granting the option to use an image or PDF document as the watermark.
- Image to PDF: Enables conversion of images into a singular PDF file, or fabricates a PDF file from an individual image.
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