Extract text from GBO files
To convert your GBO file to another format, you need Altium Designer or other Cad software.
To convert other file formats to the "PCB Layout" file type, you need software like Altium Designer or a similar tool.
.GBO files are Gerber Bottom Overlay files, containing the vector data for the silkscreen layer (text, legends, and component outlines) on the bottom side of a printed circuit board (PCB). They adhere to the RS-274X or X2 standard maintained by Ucamco and are generated by PCB design suites like Altium Designer, KiCad, and Autodesk Eagle.
The main challenge with .GBO files is their inaccessibility outside of specialized engineering environments. While they are technically ASCII text files, the coordinate data is meaningless without a dedicated CAM tool or Gerber viewer. Stakeholders without expensive CAD licenses - such as project managers or mechanical engineers - often cannot view these files to verify component placement or labeling. Furthermore, because .GBO represents just one single layer of a board, viewing it in isolation without the context of the rest of the PCB stack-up can be confusing.
For broader accessibility, converting .GBO files is standard practice. To share the design with non-engineers or for archiving, converting to PDF ensures vector quality is preserved in a universally readable format. For use in mechanical design software like AutoCAD, converting to DXF allows the silkscreen geometry to be imported as physical lines. For web viewing or documentation, SVG is the superior choice, while PNG serves well for quick, rasterized visual checks.
Convert.Guru analyzes your GBO file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted GKO, GBR, DRL, GBL, ZIP, PRJPCB, SCHDOC and PCBDOC files.
If you want to convert GBO file to DWG, DXF, DGN, RVT, RFA, SKP, 3DM, STEP, IGES, SAT, X_T or X_B, you can use Altium Designer or similar software from the "PCB Silkscreen Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SLDASM, DGN, PRT, IAM, X_B, CATPRODUCT, SLDPRT, RVT, ASM, DWG, CATPART or DXF files to GBO, try Altium Designer or another comparable tool in the "PCB Silkscreen Data" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our GBO converter.