SATO CL6NX Plus Label Printer: 6 Inch Industrial Buying Guide

The SATO CL6NX Plus label printer is the 6 inch member of SATO's CL NX Plus industrial series, built for wide labels that a 4 inch printer cannot cover in one pass: drum and carton labels, pallet placards, chemical and hazard labels, and large format shipping labels. It shares its operator manual, menus and command languages with the 4 inch CL4NX Plus, so a site that already runs CL4NX Plus printers can add one with familiar menus and existing label formats.

This guide sets out the four CL6NX Plus part numbers in our listing, the differences between them, how the CL6NX Plus compares with its 4 inch sibling, and what to check before you order one unit or a whole line. If you already know your resolution and interface, go straight to the CL6NX Plus specs table.

Products in our listing

All four CL6NX Plus part numbers we list are below, and each card opens the full product page.

SATOWWCLPA201-WARSATO CL6NX Plus 6-Inch 203dpi Thermal Transfer / Direct Thermal Industrial Label PrinterIn stockView Details →

SATOWWCLPB001SATO CL6NX Plus 6.59-Inch 305dpi Thermal Transfer / Direct Thermal Industrial Label PrinterIn stockView Details →

SATOWWCLPB101SATO CL6NX Plus 6-Inch 305dpi Thermal Transfer / Direct Thermal Industrial Label PrinterIn stockView Details →

SATOWWCLPB201-NARSATO CL6NX Plus 6-Inch 305dpi Thermal Transfer / Direct Thermal Industrial Label PrinterIn stockView Details →

All four CL6NX Plus models shown are new, and every unit carries the 30-Day Tech Seller USA warranty. Browse the full SATO printer range.

SATO CL6NX Plus specs in our listing

The table shows each specification as it is recorded on the product page. Where a value is not recorded, it is shown as Not listed.

Two listed values differ from SATO's published datasheet, which gives a 6.5 inch print width for every CL6NX Plus and a speed range of 2 to 8 ips at 305 dpi. WWCLPB001 records 6.59 inches and 10 ips. Confirm both figures for that part number before you rely on them.

What the SATO CL6NX Plus label printer is for

The CL6NX Plus exists for one reason: label width. SATO's datasheet gives a maximum print width of 6.5 inches (167.5 mm) and a media width range of 47 to 177 mm. A 4 inch class industrial printer tops out a little over 4 inches of print, so anything wider than that either needs a 6 inch printer or has to be redesigned to fit.

Drum and pail labels for chemical, coatings and lubricant products carry product names, hazard pictograms, precautionary text and a barcode, and the regulatory content alone rarely fits in four inches. Pallet placards, warehouse rack labels, wide asset tags and large shipping labels for oversized freight also fall into this class. If your label is 4 by 6 inches printed with the long edge leading, a 4 inch printer is enough. If it is 6 inches wide, you need this class of machine.

The SATO CL6NX Plus label printer is also an industrial printer in the full sense. It weighs 44.75 lbs on SATO's datasheet, it is built to run through multiple shifts, and it takes media rolls up to 8.6 inches in outer diameter and ribbons up to 600 m, so a long run does not stop for frequent media changes. Our guide to industrial versus desktop label printers covers when that class of machine is worth it, and duty cycle and print volume sizing helps you size it against your real daily output.

SATO CL6NX Plus vs CL4NX Plus: the 6 inch sibling

If you already know the CL4NX Plus, most of the CL6NX Plus will be familiar. SATO publishes a single operator manual for the CL4NX Plus and CL6NX Plus, and its datasheets list the same 3.5 inch full color display, the same 2 GB ROM and 256 MB RAM, the same standard language and the same emulation set on both. The differences that matter for a buying decision, all taken from SATO's published datasheets, are these:

• Print width: 6.5 inches on the CL6NX Plus against 4.09 inches on the CL4NX Plus.
• Media width: 47 to 177 mm on the CL6NX Plus against 22 to 128 mm on the CL4NX Plus. The 6 inch printer does not take very narrow stock, so a site printing both narrow and wide labels may still need both models.
• Top speed: up to 10 ips at 203 dpi and 8 ips at 305 dpi on the CL6NX Plus. SATO lists a higher top speed for the CL4NX Plus, so on labels that fit a 4 inch printer the smaller model is the quicker one.
• Resolution options: SATO lists 203 dpi and 305 dpi for the CL6NX Plus, and 203, 305 and 609 dpi for the CL4NX Plus.
• Size and weight: 44.75 lbs and 338 mm wide on the CL6NX Plus against 33.28 lbs and 271 mm wide on the CL4NX Plus. Depth and height are the same, so both fit the same bench depth.

If every label you print fits in about 4 inches, the CL4NX Plus is faster, lighter and takes narrower media. If any label in the workflow is wider, the CL6NX Plus is the printer, and shared formats and menus keep the two easy to run side by side. Our SATO CL4NX Plus guide covers the 4 inch model in detail. For other 6 inch options, see the Zebra 6 inch industrial label printers guide and the Zebra 140Xi4 wide format guide.

Key configuration choices

Every CL6NX Plus in our listing prints by both thermal transfer and direct thermal, so the real choices are resolution, interfaces and media handling. The part number is the reference for all three. In our listing, WWCLPA201-WAR is the 203 dpi model and the three WWCLPB part numbers are 305 dpi.

Resolution. At 203 dpi the CL6NX Plus reaches its highest speed, which suits large labels with big text and linear barcodes, such as drum labels and pallet placards. On the CL6NX Plus 305 dpi models, small text, hazard statements in small type and dense 2D codes hold their shape better, at the cost of some speed. If your wide label carries a small Data Matrix or several lines of fine print, 305 dpi is the safer choice. Our 203 vs 300 vs 600 dpi guide explains the trade off in detail.

Interfaces. SATO lists USB, Ethernet, RS-232C serial, IEEE 1284 parallel, an EXT signal port and NFC as standard on the CL6NX Plus, with dual band wireless LAN and Bluetooth as options. In our listing, WWCLPA201-WAR records Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, WWCLPB201-NAR records Bluetooth, and WWCLPB001 and WWCLPB101 record wired interfaces only. On a production line, a wired Ethernet connection with a reserved address is usually the most reliable choice. Our guide on printer connectivity covers the options.

Media handling. WWCLPA201-WAR and WWCLPB201-NAR record a dispenser and rewinder, which suits print and apply by hand at a packing station. WWCLPB101 records a cutter, which suits tags, continuous stock and labels that are cut to length. WWCLPB201-NAR also records a real time clock, useful when labels carry a print date or time stamp generated by the printer. Our guide to printer media handling modes explains when each setup fits.

Media and ribbon

SATO's datasheet gives a maximum label roll of 8.6 inches (220 mm) outer diameter on a 3 inch or 4 inch core, and a maximum ribbon length of 600 m. Match the ribbon width to the label width rather than running a 6 inch ribbon under a narrower label.

Choose the print method by how long the label must last. Direct thermal suits short life labels such as outbound shipping labels, and it needs no ribbon. Thermal transfer suits drum labels, chemical labels and asset tags that must survive handling, weather and years in storage, and the ribbon formulation has to be matched to the label face stock. See direct thermal versus thermal transfer printing and the label media and ribbon selection guide before you commit to a stock.

Setup, command languages and compatibility

SATO lists SBPL, its own SATO Barcode Printer Language, as the standard language on the CL6NX Plus. It also auto detects five emulations: SZPL, SDPL, SIPL, STCL and SEPL. SZPL is the Zebra emulation, so a host that already sends ZPL can usually drive a CL6NX Plus without changes to the label format. Test your most complex format before rolling out a fleet, because emulations can differ on unusual commands. Our guide to printer command languages covers the background.

SATO also documents Application Enabled Printing (AEP), which lets an application run on the printer itself, with a keyboard, scale or scanner connected directly, and PDF direct print. Confirm your workflow supports them first.

For deployment, give every networked printer a reserved address and keep a configuration backup so a replacement is a lookup rather than a rebuild. Our printer firmware and fleet configuration guide explains how to keep a mixed fleet consistent.

Lifecycle and what comes next

SATO America describes the CL6NX Plus as the next evolution of its CL6NX series and shows no discontinuation notice for it. SATO America also lists a newer 6 inch industrial printer, the CL6-SXR, but does not present it as a replacement for the CL6NX Plus. Documentation, including the SATO CL6NX Plus manual it shares with the CL4NX Plus, is published on SATO's site.

If you are replacing an older 6 inch SATO, such as an original CL6NX, send us its full part number, interfaces and media handling so we can match the closest CL6NX Plus configuration.

Checks before you order

Every CL6NX Plus in our listing is new, but a wide industrial printer still deserves a short acceptance check when it arrives.

The printhead is the most expensive wear part, and on a 6 inch printer it is a wide one. SATO lists a Smart Print Head that tracks its own usage and a tool free head and platen replacement. Print a full width test pattern on arrival and keep it as a baseline. See printhead failure diagnosis and replacement.

The platen roller drives the media. SATO lists a wear indicator on the CL NX Plus platen. Keep it clean and replace it on schedule, as covered in our thermal printer maintenance guide.

The box contents should include the power cable and any media handling option the part number records. Confirm them on arrival.

Full CL6NX Plus range in our listing

Every CL6NX Plus part number we currently list is below. Select a part number to open its product page.

Ordering

Send us the part number you are replacing, the widest label you print, how long it must stay readable and your daily volume. We will confirm whether the job needs the CL6NX Plus or whether a 4 inch CL4NX Plus covers it, and which resolution and media handling fit. Browse the printers and scanners range, and if you also need encoding, read our guide to RFID label printing and encoding before you order.

Common questions