^PW sets the label print width, measured in dots. The printer uses this value to determine the right boundary of the printable area and for commands that reference the full label width (like centering or right-justifying fields).
Print width should match your physical media width. For a 4-inch label at 203 DPI, the correct value is 812 dots (4 × 203). At 300 DPI, the same label is 1200 dots wide.
Getting ^PW wrong has visible consequences: too wide, and fields near the right edge get clipped by the physical print head boundary; too narrow, and auto-centering or right-justified fields appear further left than expected.
^PW is a persistent setting on many Zebra printers — it survives power cycles. If you set ^PW inside a format, it may affect subsequent formats on the same print job. For maximum portability, set it explicitly in each format rather than relying on the printer's stored value.
The valid range depends on the printer model. ZD420 supports up to 832 dots (203 DPI) or 1248 dots (300 DPI). ZT610 supports up to 2400 dots at 300 DPI.
Syntax
^PWa
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | integer | optional | Print width in dots. Must not exceed the printer's maximum print width for its DPI setting. |
Examples
4×6 label at 203 DPI (812 wide)
Try in Viewer^XA ^PW812 ^LL1218 ^FO50,50^A0N,40,40^FD4x6 Shipping Label^FS ^FO50,120^A0N,28,28^FDWidth: 4 inches / 812 dots^FS ^XZ
2×1 label at 203 DPI (406 wide)
Try in Viewer^XA ^PW406 ^LL203 ^FO10,20^A0N,28,28^FDSmall Label^FS ^FO10,60^BY1,3,50^BCN,50,N,N,N^FDSMALL-001^FS ^XZ
Common Mistakes
- !Setting ^PW wider than the physical print head — anything beyond the hardware maximum is silently clipped.
- !Mixing up the formula for DPI: dots = inches × DPI (not pixels, not millimeters).
- !Forgetting that ^PW is persistent on many printers — a previous job's ^PW can affect your current format if you don't set it explicitly.