What is TSPL?

TSPL (TSC Printer Language, also seen as TSPL2) is the command language of TSC thermal printers — one of the most common brands behind affordable desktop label printers, including many sold under other names. If you own a budget 4×6 thermal printer that isn’t a Zebra, there’s a good chance it speaks TSPL.

What it looks like

SIZE 4,6
GAP 0.12,0
CLS
TEXT 50,50,"3",0,1,1,"LabelZoom"
BARCODE 50,120,"128",100,1,0,2,2,"12345678"
PRINT 1

TSPL is line-oriented and English-like: SIZE sets the media, CLS clears the image buffer, TEXT and BARCODE draw fields, PRINT outputs the label. Coordinates are in dots, like ZPL.

TSPL vs ZPL

Same job, different printer family. ZPL is Zebra’s language; TSPL is TSC’s. Many shipping platforms only emit ZPL, which is why TSC owners frequently need conversion — either converting the ZPL to an image/PDF to print via a driver, or re-targeting the label to TSPL.

Working with TSPL files

TSPL files are plain text (often .tspl or .txt). The LabelZoom conversion engine parses TSPL natively — rendering TSPL labels to images and PDF just like ZPL. The REST API accepts tspl as a source format today (e.g. POST /api/v2/convert/tspl/to/png); see Supported formats and the API quickstart. Dedicated web tools are rolling out — contact us if you need something that isn’t live yet.

Related: What is ZPL? · What is EPL? · What is DPL?