Gobo

A gobo is a sheet of material (usually metal) with patterned holes removed, so that when a a focused light is shone through it, it casts an image.

The gobo is inserted into a gobo holder, which can be inserted between the lenses of a profile fixture.

They can be used to display images or to add a texture to a large, plain object. For example a leaf breakup can be used to add a 'forest' texture to the ground.

Gobo Projectors
Whilst you can use a gobo in a profile, you can get a much better quality image from a dedicated gobo projector.

Custom Gobos
In addition to a standard selection of gobos, you can also have custom gobos manufactured. For example, with a logo or piece of text. However, 'tagging' must be used to prevent 'island areas' forming (where a piece of metal is not attached to the gobo).

Different Materials
Whilst most gobos are made of metal, some more complex ones are made of coloured glass. By filling in the gaps with transparent glass, it removes the need for 'tagging', so you can have more complex designs.

You can also have gobos made with multiple colours in, to create a coloured projection. When focused correctly, they can provide much higher quality images than standard projectors.

Gobo Rotator
Instead of using a normal gobo holder, you can use a gobo rotator. This is just a gobo holder with a motor, so the gobo can be rotated round.

Gobo Changer
A gobo changer holds multiple gobos and inserts and removes them from the gobo slot of a fixture when needed.