Extract text from GIMP brushes (VBR)
To convert VBR brushes to another format, you need GIMP or other Settings software.
To convert other file formats to the "GIMP Brush File" file type, you need software like GIMP or a similar tool.
The .VBR file extension is a GIMP Parametric Brush file. It stores brush tool configurations using mathematical parameters like radius, hardness, aspect ratio, and angle. Instead of relying on a static grid of pixels, these parametric brushes calculate their shape on the fly. This allows digital artists to scale the brush to massive sizes without suffering from jagged, pixelated edges.
The major disadvantage of the .VBR format is its strict restriction to the GIMP ecosystem. It is a highly specialized, proprietary configuration file. You cannot open it natively in standard web browsers, and competing professional software like Adobe Photoshop cannot read or translate these specific parametric instructions. Because it lacks standard image data, standard file viewers and operating systems will fail to preview it, making it useless outside of its parent software.
Users typically need to convert a .VBR brush to standard formats like ABR for Photoshop or rasterize it into a PNG or JPG image to share the underlying brush tip shape. However, converting a mathematical parametric brush to a static raster image means losing its infinite scalability. The exported brush will become permanently locked to a fixed pixel resolution.
Because this format is a closed, proprietary set of mathematical parameters, standard online converters fail to process it. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data. Just drag and drop your file to see what it is and convert it if supported. convert.guru can identify the file format, inspect the file, and show text or internal content. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your VBR file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted MP3, MP4, M4A, WAV, M3U, FLAC, CBR, ZIP, ASPX, APM, XWD and SCM files.
If you want to convert VBR file to CBR, MP3, SVG, AI, EPS, PDF, JPG, CDR, WMF, EMF, SWF or FLA, you can use GIMP or similar software from the "Parametric Brush Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert AFPUB, EPS, FIG, VSD, SKETCH, VDX, AFPHOTO, PDF, AFDESIGN, SVG, VSDX or AI files to VBR, try GIMP or another comparable tool in the "Parametric Brush Storage" 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 VBR converter.