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Office 2007 XPS and PDF export downloads

How to get the Office 2007 features to save documents to XPS or Acrobat PDF formats.

Harry G writes:


“OK – I give up.  I’ve got Office 2007 but can’t work out how to save to PDF files or XPS (whatever that is).  The link in Word 2007 takes me around the help files.  The ‘resources’ link takes me to the online update but doesn’t show downloads for this feature.”

Office 2007 can save documents to Acrobat PDF files or Microsoft’s new XPS format.  Microsoft and Acrobat could not agree on terms so customers have to go through the charade of downloading the PDF and XPS features separately from Microsoft.  Both should be in the Office 2007 package delivered to you but alas.

Once you have installed the separate downloads you’ll be able to save to the extra formats directly from Office 2007 programs under the ‘Save As’ menu.

Office 2007 - Save As PDF and XPS image from Office 2007 XPS and PDF export downloads at Office-Watch.com

You have the choice of downloading a PDF export tool, XPS export or a combined download with both.  The links are below.

A nice touch is that you don’t have to re-start your Office programs to get the new features.  We had Word 2007 open while installing the PDF/XPS export feature – the option appeared on the Save As menu without the usual need to close Word and re-open it.  Nice work by the Office developers!

2007 Microsoft Office Add-in: Microsoft Save as PDF


This download allows you to export and save to the PDF format in eight 2007 Microsoft Office programs. It also allows you to send files as e-mail attachments in the PDF format in a subset of these programs.

2007 Microsoft Office Add-in: Microsoft Save as XPS


This download allows you to export and save to the XPS format in eight 2007 Microsoft Office programs. It also allows you to send files as e-mail attachments in the XPS format in a subset of these programs.

2007 Microsoft Office Add-in: Microsoft Save as PDF or XPS


This download allows you to export and save to the PDF and XPS formats in eight 2007 Microsoft Office programs. It also allows you to send as e-mail attachment in the PDF and XPS formats in a subset of these programs.

Here’s Microsoft’s explanation of the two formats:

By using an add-in, you can save or export a file from your Microsoft Office program into the following formats:



  • Portable Document Format (PDF) PDF is a fixed-layout electronic file format that preserves document formatting and enables file sharing. The PDF format ensures that when the file is viewed online or printed, it retains exactly the format that you intended, and that data in the file cannot be easily changed. The PDF format is also useful for documents that will be reproduced by using commercial printing methods.
  • XML Paper Specification (XPS) XPS is a fixed-layout electronic file format that preserves document formatting and enables file sharing. The XPS format ensures that when the file is viewed online or printed, it retains exactly the format that you intended, and that data in the file cannot be easily changed.  “

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