NLBL to ZPL

Convert NiceLabel templates to ZPL for Zebra printers. Upload an .nlbl file from NiceLabel or ZebraDesigner 3, or an older .lbl, and get ZPL II your system can send straight to the printer, with every text field, barcode and line as its own editable command.

Need a document instead? NLBL to PDF. Already have ZPL? Check it in the ZPL viewer.

Preview: LabelZoom’s NiceLabel reader is the newest in our engine and still improving. Compare the converted ZPL against a known-good print before rolling a format out. If something doesn’t match, let us know — reports go straight into what we fix next.

Upload your NiceLabel file

Render Settings

Label Size

Preview

ZPL • Auto-detect

Note on Watermarks: Free online conversions include a LabelZoom watermark. Need to remove watermarks for production, or process thousands of labels per minute? Check out our REST API subscriptions

Print NiceLabel designs from any system that can send ZPL to a Zebra.

Each object stays an editable ZPL field, not a picture of the label.

Physical sizes kept at 203 or 300 dpi.

How to convert NLBL to ZPL

  1. 1

    Set the density to the Zebra that will print the label, 203 or 300 dpi.

  2. 2

    Click Upload file and choose the .nlbl or .lbl file, or drop it on the box above. It converts as soon as it arrives.

  3. 3

    Copy or download the ZPL, or send it to a connected Zebra. Fine-tune fields in the ZPL editor.

How NiceLabel objects become ZPL

The converter works object by object, so the ZPL keeps the template's structure.

NiceLabel objectBecomes ZPLNotes
Text^FO ^A ^FD ^FSOne field per line of text, at the same height
Barcode^BC, ^B3, ^BE, ^BQ, ^BX …Symbology, height and readable line carried across
Line, rectangle^GBDashed lines become solid; filled shapes become outlines
Bitmap image^GFWMF images are skipped
Bound field^FD with the sample valueReplace it with your own data at print time
Media size^PW and ^LLFrom the template, unless you pick a size

Other Supported Formats

NLBL to PDFBTW to ZPLZPL ViewerZPL EditorLabel ConverterDesigner
Start converting now

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about converting NiceLabel templates to ZPL.

Why convert a NiceLabel template to ZPL?
ZPL is what a Zebra printer runs. With the label as ZPL, any system that can send text to a printer can print it: a WMS, an ERP, a script, or a print server, with no NiceLabel or ZebraDesigner installation in between. ZPL is also plain text, so it can be stored, versioned and edited like any other source file.
Is the ZPL editable, or one big image?
Editable. Text becomes ^A font fields with ^FD data, barcodes become the matching ^B commands, and lines and boxes become ^GB. Only images become ^GF graphics. Open the result in a ZPL editor and change any field as if you had written it by hand.
What happens to fields that take their value from data?
They come across with the sample value saved in the template, ready to print. To make them fields your system fills at print time, edit those ^FD values, or convert through the REST API and pass the data in the request.
Does it read the older .lbl files?
Yes, the .lbl files saved by NiceLabel Pro 4 and 5. Some warehouse systems still ship their label templates in that format. Those files store no sample values, so a bound field comes out as question marks or zeros until you fill it.
Which density should I pick?
The density of the Zebra that will print the label: 203 dpi for most desktop and industrial models, 300 dpi for high-resolution ones. A NiceLabel template measures everything in physical units, so the converter lays the label out at whichever density you choose and the printed size stays the same.