Do You Need Text Recognition? Recognize text

ICO to XPS Converter

Free online ICO to XPS converter with instant results

Drop files here. 1 GB maximum file size or Sign Up
to
Facebook Amazon Microsoft Tesla Nestle Walmart L'Oreal

Expand Usability

ICO is limited to icons and favicons — converting to XPS gives you a standard format that works in image editors, documents, and beyond.

Fast Processing

ICO to XPS conversion typically completes in seconds. Upload your file, choose the format, and download the result almost instantly.

Any Device, Any OS

Run ICO to XPS conversion on desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Works on every operating system with a modern web browser.

How to convert ICO to XPS

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose xps or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your xps file right afterwards

About formats

ICO is the icon file format for Microsoft Windows, introduced with Windows 1.0 in 1985 and serving as the standard container for application icons, file type icons, and shortcut icons throughout the Windows ecosystem. An ICO file bundles multiple image variants within a single container — each at different sizes (16x16, 32x32, 48x48, 256x256, and others) and color depths (4-bit, 8-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit with alpha) — allowing Windows to select the most appropriate image for each display context, from tiny taskbar buttons to large desktop icons. The container structure consists of an ICONDIR header, an array of ICONDIRENTRY records describing each variant, and the image data itself. Since Windows Vista, ICO files support embedded PNG-compressed images for the larger sizes (typically 256x256), dramatically reducing file size while maintaining quality with full alpha transparency. One advantage is automatic size adaptation — Windows pulls the optimal resolution from the ICO container for each context (Explorer list view, desktop tile, Alt-Tab preview), ensuring crisp display without the application managing separate image files. The format's operating system-level integration is another core strength: ICO files serve as the identity mechanism for executables, file associations, and shortcuts across all Windows versions, and web browsers use favicon.ico for website identity in tabs and bookmarks. ICO creation and editing is supported by image editors like GIMP, Inkscape, and dedicated icon tools, and the format remains essential for Windows application development.
Developer: Microsoft
Initial release: 1985
XPS (XML Paper Specification) is a fixed-layout document format developed by Microsoft, first released with Windows Vista and .NET Framework 3.0 in November 2006. Conceived as Microsoft's alternative to Adobe's PDF, XPS uses XML-based page description markup within a ZIP-based Open Packaging Conventions container. Each page is described as a FixedPage element containing paths (vector shapes with fill and stroke), glyphs (text positioned at precise coordinates), images, and canvas groupings — all specified with exact coordinates for pixel-precise rendering. The format embeds all required resources: fonts are subset and included, images are stored within the package, and the complete rendering specification travels with the document. Windows includes the XPS Document Writer as a virtual printer, allowing any application to generate XPS output through the standard print dialog. One advantage is exact visual fidelity — XPS documents render identically on any compliant viewer because every element is positioned absolutely, with no interpretation variance. Native Windows integration is another strength: XPS viewing, creation, and printing are built into Windows without additional software, and the .NET Framework provides APIs for programmatic XPS generation. While XPS did not achieve the ubiquity of PDF as a universal document format, it remains used in Windows printing infrastructure, enterprise document workflows, and scenarios where the Windows platform provides native end-to-end support.
Developer: Microsoft
Initial release: November 2006

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert ICO to XPS?

XPS produces a fixed-layout document from your icon — Microsoft's print-ready format for exact-layout documents on Windows systems.

Which apps support XPS files?

You can open XPS files with XPS Viewer (Windows), Evince (Linux), Okular. Free alternatives are available for every platform.

Which icon size gets used from my ICO?

Convertio extracts the highest resolution image stored in your ICO file for conversion to XPS — giving you the best quality available in the icon.

Can I use this on Mac and Linux?

The converter is entirely browser-based — it works on macOS, Linux, Windows, and any other platform with a modern web browser. No OS-specific software needed.

Can I convert ICO to XPS for free?

Yes — Convertio offers free ICO to XPS conversion. For professional volumes and larger files, premium plans provide expanded limits and priority processing.

How long does ICO to XPS conversion take?

Most conversions complete within seconds. Processing time depends on file size and server load, but the entire workflow typically finishes in under a minute.