What happens when you convert XPS to EPS
- The XPS is converted to PDF by MuPDF, and Ghostscript, the standard PostScript interpreter, writes the first page as an EPS on our conversion server.
- An EPS holds exactly one page, so only the first page is converted. Text and shapes stay vectors, so it scales to any size for print.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert XPS to EPS online
- Press "Choose XPS files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to EPS". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each EPS with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your XPS and the EPS by then.
Why convert XPS to EPS?
XPS files usually come from documents printed with the Microsoft XPS Document Writer. People convert them to EPS because EPS is what many printers, sign makers and older design software still ask for when you send artwork.
In short, XPS is good at what it was made for, and EPS is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. XPS does not open in browsers; the XPS Viewer, an optional Windows feature, opens it, while EPS does not open in browsers; Illustrator, Inkscape and Affinity Designer open it, and macOS Preview converts it to PDF.
How to convert XPS to EPS on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your XPS files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each EPS is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the XPS files from Finder onto the drop zone and the EPS files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose XPS files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted EPS appears in Files, in the Downloads folder; to put it in your photo library, open it there, tap Share and choose Save Image.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose XPS files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The EPS is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for XPS to EPS
There are no settings: the first page is written at its own size.
For every page, convert to PDF instead, which keeps them all.
XPS vs EPS: the differences
| XPS | EPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | XML Paper Specification | Encapsulated PostScript |
| Type | document | image |
| Created by | Microsoft | Adobe |
| First released | 2006 | 1987 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | No | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Vector or raster | Vector | Vector |
| Colour | any colour, pages of text, vector shapes and images | vector drawing, which can also hold raster images |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; the XPS Viewer, an optional Windows feature, opens it | does not open in browsers; Illustrator, Inkscape and Affinity Designer open it, and macOS Preview converts it to PDF |
| Common uses | documents printed with the Microsoft XPS Document Writer | logos and artwork for print, and stock vector graphics |
| MIME type | application/vnd.ms-xpsdocument | application/postscript |
About XPS and EPS files
What is an XPS file?
XPS is Microsoft's fixed-layout page format, a ZIP of XML pages, fonts and images, meant as an alternative to PDF. Windows printed to it through the Microsoft XPS Document Writer, but it never caught on, and since 2018 Windows no longer installs its viewer by default.
What is an EPS file?
An EPS is a small PostScript program that draws one page of artwork, with a bounding box so it can be placed inside other documents. Printers and designers still ask for it, but it is gradually being replaced by PDF and SVG.
XPS to EPS not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- "This file is not really in XPS format." The converter checks every file before it runs anything, so a file of another format renamed to .xps is refused. Choose the page for its real format.
Convert XPS to EPS from the command line
MuPDF and Ghostscript do the same on your own computer:
mutool convert -F pdf -o page.pdf input.xps
gs -dSAFER -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=eps2write -dFirstPage=1 -dLastPage=1 -sOutputFile=output.eps page.pdfConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
XPS to EPS converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting XPS to EPS?
Vector content stays vector, so the EPS is sharp at any size. Only the first page is kept.
Why is the EPS a different size from the XPS?
The EPS holds one page, but PostScript is verbose text with embedded fonts, so it can be as large as the whole XPS.
Are my XPS files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful XPS to EPS conversion needs MuPDF and Ghostscript, two open-source tools, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the EPS as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several XPS files to EPS at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open an EPS file?
EPS does not open in browsers; Illustrator, Inkscape and Affinity Designer open it, and macOS Preview converts it to PDF. EPS is common for logos and artwork for print, and stock vector graphics.
Is this XPS to EPS converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert XPS to EPS on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the EPS is saved to your Downloads folder.