Labeloid User Guide

Open a ZPL file in Labeloid on Windows

You can open an existing ZPL file from the Windows file dialog, drag it into Labeloid, or use its file association. Each method opens the same workspace, with the label preview beside the ZPL source.

Use the Open dialog

1. Click Open ZPL.
2. Select the ZPL file you want to open.
3. Click Open in the Windows file dialog.

Once the file opens, Labeloid shows the label preview and the ZPL source for review or editing.

Drag and drop a file

Drag a ZPL file from Windows Explorer into the Labeloid window. Labeloid opens and renders the file immediately.

Double-click a ZPL file

If .zpl files are associated with Labeloid, double-clicking one in Windows Explorer starts Labeloid or brings it to the foreground, then opens the selected file.

Associate .zpl files with Labeloid

The Labeloid installer can register Labeloid as the app for .zpl files in Windows. Once that association is active, double-clicking a .zpl file opens it directly in Labeloid.

You can also set the association at the Windows level: right-click a .zpl file, choose Open with, select Labeloid, and choose the option that makes Labeloid the default app for .zpl files. If you do not want to change the default app, use Open ZPL or drag and drop instead.

Browse ZPL files and folders

Use Browse folder when you need to work with several ZPL files in the same folder. Labeloid builds a file list for that folder, so you can move between files without reopening the Windows file dialog.

1. Click Browse folder and select a folder that contains ZPL files.
2. Open a file from the folder view.
3. Use the left and right chevron buttons beside the file path to move through the list. Their tooltips are Previous ZPL in the folder (←) and Next ZPL in the folder (→).

Labeloid scans only the selected folder. Files in subfolders are not included. Select a subfolder in the folder tree to browse it separately.

Labeloid does not update the file list automatically when new files are added to the folder. Select the folder again to update the list.

The status line shows your current position in the folder as N / M in folder. For example, 3 / 12 in folder means you are viewing the third file out of 12. At the first or last file, the corresponding Previous or Next chevron button is disabled.

Preview a rendered label

Labeloid shows one page at a time. Adjust the zoom when you need to see the whole label or examine a small element more closely.

If a zoomed label extends beyond the preview, drag inside the preview to move around the label.

Navigate a multi-label ZPL file

If a ZPL file contains several labels, Labeloid renders them as separate pages, like a multi-page document. Thumbnails and page controls let you move through all labels in the current ZPL file.

1. Open the Pages panel to see the page thumbnails.
2. Select a thumbnail to show that page in the main preview.
3. Move through the file with First page, Previous page, Next page, or Last page.

Page X of Y shows the current page and the total number of pages in the selected range. PgUp and PgDn move to the previous or next page.

If you set a range in Rendering parameters, the page count changes to match it. Only pages in that range appear in the preview and exported output.

Inspect preview elements in ZPL source

If you need to find the code behind a particular text field, barcode, line, or other label element, click that element in the preview. Labeloid highlights the related ZPL command or source fragment in the editor.

1. Show the ZPL source code panel.
2. Click the element you want to investigate in the preview.
3. Review the source fragment selected by Labeloid.

Navigation works from preview to source only. Selecting a command in the editor does not locate the corresponding element in the preview.

Edit ZPL source

Use the syntax-highlighted editor to edit the ZPL source directly. The preview and diagnostics do not update while you type; they remain based on the last applied source until you click Apply.

1. Open the ZPL source code panel and make the required changes.
2. Click Apply to save the file and render the updated source.
3. Check the new preview and diagnostics before continuing.

The label does not rerender while you type (currently, there is no “live preview”).

Warnings and errors refresh when you open a ZPL file, click Apply, or change a rendering parameter that rerenders the label.

Apply or discard changes

Apply saves the edited ZPL source to the current file and redraws the preview. It is the only way to preview source changes.

Before applying, Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y undo or redo changes in the editor.

Set label size and rendering parameters

Use Rendering parameters to change the label size or print density used for rendering, or to limit a multi-label file to specific pages. These settings affect the preview and output without changing the ZPL source.

With Auto (from ZPL), Labeloid uses the label dimensions defined in the ZPL when they are present.

1. Open Rendering parameters.
2. Choose the label size and print density you want to use.
3. Select All or enter the page range you want.
4. Check the updated preview, page count, and diagnostics.

The Pages setting applies to the preview, page navigation, and exported output. Label orientation comes from the ZPL; this panel has no separate orientation control.

Review warnings and diagnostics

After rendering, review any warnings or errors reported by Labeloid. They can point to an unknown command, an invalid value, or other ZPL that may need attention.

Warnings do not update while you type. They refresh when you open a ZPL file, click Apply, or change a rendering parameter that rerenders the label.

You may see messages about:

• Unknown or unrecognized content.
• Invalid numeric values.
• Out-of-range or adjusted values.
• Invalid orientation values.
• Values that were too long and trimmed.
• Some barcode, font, or resource-related problems.

Click a warning to jump to and highlight the related command in the source editor. The status line at the bottom of the editor shows the current number of warnings and errors.

ZPL is valid means that Labeloid found no visible warnings or errors for the current render. It does not mean that every ZPL command or every physical-printer behavior has been validated.

If the label still looks unexpected, send a reproduction ZPL file and enough detail to reproduce the problem to Labeloid Support.

Export from Labeloid

Export saves the pages selected in Rendering parameters. For multi-label files, check the Pages setting before exporting.

1. Click Save as or open its format menu.
2. Select PDF, PNG, or JPEG.
3. Choose the destination folder and file name in the Windows Save dialog, then save the result.

PDF keeps the selected labels together in one multi-page document. PNG and JPEG create a separate image file for each selected page.

Copy the current preview as PNG

When you need the current preview in another application but do not need an export file, copy it directly to the Windows clipboard.

1. Right-click the preview.
2. Select Copy preview as PNG.
3. Paste the image into the destination application.

The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+C.

Print from Labeloid

Labeloid has two print modes. It can print the label through a regular Windows printer, or send the ZPL source directly to a label printer.

Print rendered pages

1. Click Print and select Rendered pages (regular printer).
2. Select the printer you want to use from the Printer list.
3. Select All or Range under Page range, then set Copies. In this mode, the range refers to rendered pages.
4. Turn Fit to page on if needed.
5. Review the print preview and click Print.

Print raw ZPL

1. Click Print and select Raw ZPL (label printer).
2. Select a printer from the Printer list. For a direct TCP connection, choose Network printer (TCP/JetDirect).
3. If you selected a network printer, enter its host or IP address and port.
4. Set Page range and Copies, then click Print.

In Raw ZPL mode, Page range refers to labels in the ZPL source rather than rendered pages.

Printing requirements depend on the selected mode and printer. The no-printer/no-driver requirement applies to previewing, not to every printing setup.

Delete a ZPL file

Use Delete to move the current ZPL file to the Windows Recycle Bin. Labeloid asks for confirmation first.

1. Check that the correct file is open.
2. Click Delete and confirm the action.

Labeloid then opens the next or previous file. If there are no other files in the folder list, Labeloid shows its empty start screen.

Keyboard shortcuts

Use these shortcuts to move between files and pages or work in the source editor without reaching for the mouse.

Check the Labeloid version

The installed Labeloid version appears in the lower-right corner of the main window. When Support needs the full product details, open About from the information control in the right sidebar.

Get support

If you need help with a file or an unexpected result, click the bug/report icon in Labeloid to open the Labeloid Support page in your browser. Clicking this icon does not collect or send the ZPL file, logs, diagnostics, or any other support data.