XPS documents: frequently asked questions

An XML Paper Specification (XPS) document is a document format you can use to view, save, share, digitally sign, and protect your document’s content. An XPS document is like to an electronic sheet of paper: you can’t change the content on a piece of paper after you print it, and you can’t edit the contents of an XPS document after you save it in the XPS format. In this version of Windows, you can create an XPS document in any program you can print from, but you can only view, sign, and set permissions for XPS documents in the XPS Viewer.

You can create an XPS document in any program you can print from, including the entire Microsoft Office system. To learn how to create an XPS document in Microsoft Office, go to the Microsoft Office Help and How-to website and search for information on how to save a file in XPS format.

To create an XPS document in other programs, such as Notepad or WordPad, click the File menu, and then click Print. In the Print dialog box, select Microsoft XPS Document Writer from the list of available printers, and then click Print. In the Save the file as dialog box, name your XPS document, and then click Save.

While you can create an XPS document in any program you can print from, you can only view, digitally sign, or set permissions for an XPS document in the XPS Viewer.

There are two versions of the XPS Viewer. If you have Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0, the viewer is included with this version of Windows and is the default program for opening XPS documents. If you don’t have .NET Framework 3.0, you can download the XPS Essentials Pack, which is a standalone version of the XPS Viewer, from the View and Generate XPS page on the Microsoft website.

If you’re not sure whether you have .NET Framework 3.0:

The XPS Viewer is included with .NET Framework 3.0

Yes. If you don’t have .NET Framework 3.0, there is a standalone version of the XPS Viewer, called the XPS Essentials Pack, available for download at the View and Generate XPS page on the Microsoft website. This version of the viewer is compatible with Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP.

In the version of the XPS Viewer that’s included with .NET Framework 3.0, you can verify an XPS document's authenticity with adigital signature and protect a document's contents with permissions.

A digital signature enables you to both verify that your XPS document hasn’t been changed since you signed it and to verify another XPS document’s publisher so you can make sure it comes from a trusted source before you open it.

You can also create permission restrictions for your XPS document so that no one can view, copy, print, or digitally sign your document without your permission. You can set time restrictions on permissions, allow as many or as few permissions as you want to other users, and allow different users to have different levels of access.

In the XPS Essentials Pack, which is the standalone version of the XPS Viewer, you can view, copy, or print XPS documents, but you cannot digitally sign or set new permissions for a document.