SBPL
SATO Barcode Printer Language
What is SBPL?
SBPL (SATO Barcode Printer Language) is the command language for SATO thermal label printers. It controls label layout, barcode generation, text rendering, and RFID tag encoding via ASCII command strings sent to the printer.
SBPL commands start with an escape character (ESC, 0x1B) followed by command codes. Labels are enclosed between ESC A (start) and ESC Z (end/print) commands.
Used for: Manufacturing labels, food and beverage traceability, pharmaceutical compliance, retail tagging, and logistics — particularly in Asia-Pacific markets where SATO has strong market share.
Key commands
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
ESC A | Start label format |
ESC Z | End label / print |
ESC V | Vertical position |
ESC H | Horizontal position |
ESC BG | Code 128 / GS1-128 barcode |
ESC 2D | 2D barcode (QR, DataMatrix) |
ESC WR | RFID write command |
ESC Q | Set quantity |
SATO RFID printers
SATO's RFID-enabled printers include the CL4NX Plus, CL6NX Plus, and CT4-LX series. These printers can encode UHF RFID inlays in labels while simultaneously printing barcodes and human-readable text — a process called print-and-encode.
SBPL vs ZPL
| Feature | SBPL (SATO) | ZPL (Zebra) |
|---|---|---|
| Command prefix | ESC (0x1B) | ^ (caret) |
| Start label | ESC+A | ^XA |
| End label | ESC+Z | ^XZ |
| Position | ESC+H / ESC+V | ^FO |
| Text | ESC+X22data | ^FDdata^FS |
| Barcode | ESC+BG | ^BC |
| RFID | ESC+IP0 | ^RF |