Free interactive course

Learn ZPL

Learn Zebra Programming Language from your first text field through production-ready label structure, barcodes, stored formats, graphics, printer configuration, and RFID.

Start course Open playground
Level
Beginner → advanced
Curriculum
14 modules · 38 exercises
Estimated time
6–10 hours, self-paced
Cost
Free, no account required

Who this course is for

This course is for developers, label designers, support engineers, integrators, and operations teams who need to read, create, or troubleshoot the command stream sent to Zebra-compatible thermal printers.

Prerequisites

No ZPL experience is required. Basic familiarity with labels, barcodes, or working with plain text files is useful. You can complete the preview exercises in a browser; modules involving media behavior, status, storage, or RFID need real hardware for final testing.

Curriculum

Fourteen ZPL-specific modules

Work in order for a guided path, or jump to the production topic you need.

  1. 01

    Anatomy of a label

    Read the start, field, data, and end commands that make a complete ZPL format.

    Exercise: Hello WorldZPL overview^XA format start^XZ format end
  2. 02

    Coordinates, dots & DPI

    Size a physical label in printer dots and place fields with predictable coordinates.

    Exercise: Label Dimensions Exercise: Label Home Offset^FO field origin^PW print width^LL label length
  3. 03

    Text fields & fonts

    Create readable text hierarchies, defaults, wrapping, and rotation.

    Exercise: Two Lines of Text Exercise: Default Font Exercise: Text Wrapping with ^FB Exercise: Rotated Text^A font selection^CF default font^FB field block
  4. 04

    Shapes & layout

    Build borders, dividers, panels, circles, and structured multi-section labels.

    Exercise: Drawing Lines Exercise: Bordered Layout Exercise: Circles and Shapes Exercise: Multi-Section Label Exercise: Reverse (White on Black)^GB graphic box^GC graphic circle^GE graphic ellipse
  5. 05

    Linear barcodes

    Choose a 1D symbology, control its module width, and keep human-readable data useful.

    Exercise: Your First Barcode Exercise: EAN-13 Barcode Exercise: Code 39 Barcode Exercise: Codabar for Libraries Exercise: Military LOGMARS LabelCode 128EAN-13Barcode module width
  6. 06

    2D barcodes

    Create QR Code, Data Matrix, and PDF417 symbols with appropriate sizing and error correction.

    Exercise: QR Code Error Correction Exercise: Data Matrix Barcode Exercise: PDF417 Barcode Exercise: Multi-Barcode LabelQR CodeData MatrixPDF417
  7. 07

    Variables, counters & serialization

    Generate changing label data without rebuilding every format on the host.

    Exercise: Serial Numbers with ^SN Exercise: Print Copies with ^PQ^SN serialization^FN field number^PQ print quantity
  8. 08

    Stored formats & files

    Store reusable templates on a printer and recall them with variable field data.

    Exercise: Stored Format Template^DF download format^XF recall format^FN variable fields
  9. 09

    Images & downloaded graphics

    Embed bitmap data, download reusable graphics, and recall them efficiently.

    Exercise: Embedded Image with ^GF^GF graphic field~DG download graphic^XG recall graphic
  10. 10

    Character encoding

    Select character sets deliberately and understand the difference between preview fonts and printer fonts.

    ^CI international fontsCharacter setsTry the ^CI example
  11. 11

    Printer configuration & status

    Configure media and print behavior, then inspect the real device instead of guessing from a preview.

    Exercise: Printer Setup Label^HH configuration label~HS host status^MD darkness
  12. 12

    RFID encoding

    Write EPC data, verify the result, and understand why encoding still requires RFID-capable hardware.

    Exercise: RFID Asset Tag Exercise: RFID Encode + Verify^RF RFID operationRFID memory banksEPC encoding guide
  13. 13

    Production debugging

    Use comments, configuration reports, host status, and controlled test jobs to isolate failures.

    Exercise: Debug: Find the Missing Heading Exercise: Debug: Close the Print Format Exercise: Debug: Restore the Tracking Barcode Exercise: Debug: Recover the Address Line Exercise: Debug: Fix the Unreadable Warning Exercise: Comments with ^FX^FX comments^HH configuration report~HS host status
  14. 14

    Capstone shipping label

    Combine layout, text, standards-aware barcodes, serialization, and production constraints in one label.

    Exercise: Shipping Label Exercise: Warehouse Bin Label Exercise: Pharmaceutical Label Exercise: GS1-128 Compliance LabelGS1-128Application IdentifiersSSCC-96
Preview scope

Supported simulator features and limitations

Useful in the browser

The playground parses ZPL and renders common text, shapes, linear barcodes, 2D barcodes, graphics, and layout commands. It is excellent for learning syntax, inspecting structure, and iterating on a visual design.

Verify on a printer

A preview cannot reproduce printhead physics, media calibration, darkness, speed, firmware differences, installed fonts, memory limits, cutter or peel behavior, network responses, or RFID encoding. Treat hardware output as the final authority.

Ready to write your first label?

Start with the label-format envelope and a single text field. You will see every change immediately.

Start module 1 Explore freely