Extract text from CBL files
To convert your CBL file to another format, you need cablabel S3 or other Page Layout software.
To convert other file formats to the "Thermal Label Template" file type, you need software like cablabel S3 or a similar tool.
The .cbl extension represents a split ecosystem, most frequently associated with industrial label designs created by cablabel S3 or its predecessor, cablabel R2+. These files are essentially proprietary layouts used to drive thermal transfer printers. They contain vector graphics, barcodes, and database connections wrapped in a Microsoft Compound binary structure. The primary problem here is accessibility: unless you have the specific industrial labeling software installed (which often requires a license), you cannot view the design. Sharing these files with clients for proofing is difficult without converting them first.
Alternatively, a .cbl file may be source code written in COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language). While these are technically plain text, legacy COBOL files from mainframe systems are often encoded in EBCDIC rather than standard ASCII or UTF-8, rendering them as unreadable "garbage" text in modern editors like Notepad++.
Conversion Recommendations:
Convert.Guru analyzes your CBL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted BAT, TXT, FIG, CRV and DGN files.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our CBL converter.