XPS specification and license downloads
This topic describes the XPS specification and license downloads.
Important If your printer is not working properly and the problem has something to do with Open XML Paper Specification or the Microsoft XPS Document Writer, please see Fix Printer Problems.
XML Paper Specification
The XML Paper Specification describes XPS documents. An XPS document is a paginated representation of electronic paper that is described by an XML-based language. XPS documents are open, cross-platform documents that allow customers to effortlessly generate, share, print, and archive paginated documents. Microsoft has published the XML Paper Specification and made it available royalty-free.
Print Schema Specification
The Print Schema Specification includes the set of conventions for using XML to describe the capabilities of a print device and its configuration for a particular print job. The goal of this specification is to ensure the interoperability of independently created software and hardware systems that produce or consume content that complies with the Print Schema. This specification defines the formal requirements for producers and consumers to allow interoperability.
Open Packaging Conventions and Open XML Markup Compatibility
The Open Packaging Conventions and the Open XML Markup Compatibility specifications are part of the Office Open XML document interchange specification. These specifications form the foundation of the XML Paper Specification and are being standardized with the Office Open XML document format through Ecma International.
The Open Packaging Conventions describe the method for packaging content, resources, and metadata in a ZIP-based file format.
The Open XML Markup Compatibility specification describes the mechanisms that support versioning and extensibility of XML markup.
The XML Paper Specification relies on both these specifications, and you should follow the most recent draft of the technical committee in your implementations. To view the current draft of these specifications, consult the Ecma International Web site.
HD Photo Specification and Device Porting Kit
HD Photo, also known as Windows Media Photo, is a new file format for continuous-tone still images that surpasses the limitations of existing image formats. It is used in XPS documents and delivers a lightweight, high-performance algorithm with a small memory footprint that enables practical, in-device encoding and decoding. HD Photo provides significantly improved compression efficiency and is the only image file type that supports advanced pixel formats. For example, HD Photo supports fixed and floating point pixel formats for high dynamic range and wide-gamut color spaces. It also supports n-channel color spaces.
Most technologies in the JPEG XR Standard are based on the HD Photo file format. The JPEG XR Standard is also known as the ISO/IEC Standard 29199-2 and as the ITU-T Recommendation T.832.
XPS developers can download the HD Photo Specification and Device Porting Kit through the following links:
Additional information
For additional technical information on the XML Paper Specification and its related technologies, contact Microsoft at xpsinfo@microsoft.com.