Extract text from GWK files
To convert your GWK file to another format, you need GC-Prevue or other Cad software.
To convert other file formats to the "PCB Job File" file type, you need software like GC-Prevue or a similar tool.
The .GWK file extension represents a GraphiCode Workspace file, primarily created by software like GraphiCode GC-Prevue or GC-PowerStation. These files act as a container or "job file" for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturing data, storing the state of a project including imported Gerber layers, drill files, netlists, and user-defined view settings.
While .GWK files are excellent for saving your progress within the GraphiCode ecosystem, they pose significant friction for external collaboration. Because the format is proprietary to GraphiCode, sending a .GWK file to a manufacturer or client who does not have the specific version of GC-Prevue installed renders the data inaccessible. Furthermore, these files often function as compressed archives (internally using GZIP), meaning they lock raw manufacturing data inside a binary wrapper that standard text editors or CAD tools cannot interpret.
To ensure your PCB designs are viewable by stakeholders without specialized software, the best practice is to convert .GWK files to PDF for documentation and visual verification. For manufacturing or interoperability with other EDA tools (like Altium Designer or KiCad), you should extract or export the data back to standard Gerber (RS-274X), ODB++, or DXF formats.
Convert.Guru analyzes your GWK file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted GBX, ZIP, FIG, DGN and IPC files.
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 GWK converter.