^LL defines the label length (height) in dots. The printer uses this value to determine how far to advance the media for each label and where to apply the bottom margin.
For die-cut labels (pre-cut labels with gaps), the printer uses automatic sensing (^MN or calibration) to detect actual label length. ^LL overrides or supplements this: it must match the physical label height to avoid misprints where fields are split across label boundaries.
For continuous (liner-less or receipt) media, ^LL is essential — there are no physical gaps for the sensor to detect, so the printer relies entirely on this value to know where one label ends and the next begins.
The formula is straightforward: dots = inches × DPI. A 6-inch label at 203 DPI is 1218 dots. At 300 DPI, it's 1800 dots.
^LL is a persistent setting. If you set it inside a label format, it applies to the current and all subsequent formats until changed. Explicitly set ^LL at the start of each format to avoid inheriting a value from a previous job.
Syntax
^LLy[,m]
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| y | integer | optional | Label length in dots. |
| m | Y | N | Y | Save label length in printer memory: Y = save, N = do not save. |
Examples
4×6 label at 203 DPI (1218 dots tall)
Try in Viewer^XA ^PW812 ^LL1218 ^FO50,50^A0N,40,40^FDShipping Label^FS ^FO50,120^A0N,28,28^FD6 inches / 1218 dots^FS ^XZ
2×2 square label at 203 DPI
Try in Viewer^XA ^PW406 ^LL406 ^FO20,20^GB366,366,3^FS ^FO50,130^A0N,36,36^FDSquare Label^FS ^XZ
Common Mistakes
- !Setting ^LL shorter than the actual label height — fields near the bottom get clipped.
- !Using pixel/inch values directly instead of converting to dots (inches × DPI).
- !Not setting ^LL for continuous media — the printer won't know where to cut or advance.
- !Setting ^LL inside a format and assuming it only affects that format — it persists on many firmware versions.