Extract text from Zebra files (ZPL)
To convert ZPL files to another format, you need ZebraDesigner or other Page Layout software.
To convert other file formats to the "Printer Command Language" file type, you need software like ZebraDesigner or a similar tool.
The .ZPL file is a plain text document containing instructions written in the Zebra Programming Language. It is predominantly used to define the layout, text, and barcodes for labels printed on physical Zebra Technologies hardware. You will typically encounter these files when generating shipping labels, inventory tags, or retail barcodes. The primary software used to design these templates visually is ZebraDesigner, but the raw files can be manipulated in standard code editors. A secondary, much older use for the .ZPL extension is as a media playlist file generated by the discontinued Microsoft Zune software or Zoom Player.
Users frequently need to convert .ZPL files because they are effectively useless to anyone without a Zebra printer or specialized emulation software. You cannot double-click a raw .ZPL file to see the actual label design - your computer will just show you lines of machine code starting with carets (^) and tildes (~). Sharing these raw files with clients or non-technical staff causes immediate frustration because they cannot preview what the label looks like.
Converting a .ZPL to PDF, PNG, or JPG is the most pragmatic solution. This turns the raw printer code into a universal visual format that anyone can open in a web browser. Note that visual conversion permanently strips away the programmable logic, making it unsuitable for sending back to a printer.
This file format is exceptionally difficult to convert properly. Standard online converters fail to process .ZPL files because they lack the proprietary Zebra rendering engine required to translate the code into a rasterized image. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your ZPL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted TXT, ZIP, ZPLII, EPL, NLBL, PDF, PRN, LBL, PNG, ZPF, VLC, JPG and HTML files.
If you want to convert ZPL file to PDF, IMAGE, EPL, PNG, LBL, IPL, DPL, MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC or OGG, you can use ZebraDesigner or similar software from the "Label Printing and Media Playlists" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MIDI, AAC, TTA, AU, WV, DTS, MID, FLAC, RA, MP3, PCM or WAV files to ZPL, try ZebraDesigner or another comparable tool in the "Label Printing and Media Playlists" category.
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 ZPL converter.