XPS, or XML Paper Specification, is a file format developed by Microsoft as an alternative to PDF (Portable Document Format). Similar to PDF, XPS is specifically designed to preserve the visual appearance and layout of documents across different platforms and devices, ensuring consistent viewing regardless of the software or hardware being used.

Converting PDF files to XPS format offers several notable benefits. Firstly, XPS files are fully supported within the Windows ecosystem. If you work in a Microsoft-centric environment that heavily relies on Windows operating systems and Microsoft applications, converting PDF files to XPS guarantees smooth compatibility and an optimized viewing experience tailored to the Windows platform.

Secondly, XPS files are optimized for printing, ensuring precise reproduction of the document on paper. This makes XPS the preferred format when high-quality printed copies of the document are required.

Lastly, XPS files are based on XML, a widely adopted standard for structured data representation. This XML foundation enables easy extraction and manipulation of content within the files, as well as seamless integration of file content with other XML-based workflows or systems.

In this article, we will demonstrate how to convert PDF files to XPS format in Python using Spire.PDF for Python.

Install Spire.PDF for Python

This scenario requires Spire.PDF for Python and plum-dispatch v1.7.4. They can be easily installed in your Windows through the following pip command.

pip install Spire.PDF

If you are unsure how to install, please refer to this tutorial: How to Install Spire.PDF for Python on Windows

Convert PDF to XPS in Python

Converting a PDF file to the XPS file format is very easy with Spire.PDF for Python. Simply load the PDF file using the PdfDocument.LoadFromFile() method, and then save the PDF file to the XPS file format using the PdfDocument.SaveToFile(filename:str, fileFormat:FileFormat) method. The detailed steps are as follows:

• Create an object of the PdfDocument class.
• Load the sample PDF file using the PdfDocument.LoadFromFile() method.
• Save the PDF file to the XPS file format using the PdfDocument.SaveToFile (filename:str, fileFormat:FileFormat) method.

from spire.pdf.common import *
from spire.pdf import *

# Specify the input and output file paths
inputFile = "sample.pdf"
outputFile = "ToXPS.xps"

# Create an object of the PdfDocument class
pdf = PdfDocument()
# Load the sample PDF file
pdf.LoadFromFile(inputFile)

# Save the PDF file to the XPS file format
pdf.SaveToFile(outputFile, FileFormat.XPS)
# Close the PdfDocument object
pdf.Close()

Apply for a Temporary License

If you'd like to remove the evaluation message from the generated documents, or to get rid of the function limitations, please request a 30-day trial license for yourself.