Custom Glass Gobos

Customized glass patterns for projecting logos, monograms and décor

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Where to buy

Whether you need B&W glass versions of your favorite Rosco steel designs or you need to project a color-matched logo for a corporate event, Rosco Custom Glass Gobos are the most effective way to provide superior projected imagery for the most demanding client or production manager. Choose Rosco to ensure perfect color and image design for your glass gobos.

With facilities in both the US and Europe, Rosco is the largest manufacturer of gobos in the world. Our two art departments ensure nearly 24-hour coverage so that someone is almost always available to work on your gobo design. Ask us about custom glass gobo wheel options or animation effects as well.

Multiple Screening Processes

Through Rosco’s innovative developments in technology and unique manufacturing methods, we have raised the bar in gobo production. Our new custom glass gobos are designed to produce the highest quality resolution for any unique design. Our production methods offer flexibility for the desired artwork, projector, and glass gobo type, allowing us to truly customize each gobo from a 4mm image area and up.

Rosco Manufactures Its Own Dichroic Glass

Dichroic glass is the basic building block for colored glass gobos, and we are the only gobo manufacturer that manufactures its own dichroic glass. This enables us to offer color consistency from gobo-to-gobo and from batch-to-batch, which means that the gobo we make today will match any replacement gobos we make in the future. We’re also able to manipulate the CMYK color-palette of the gobo, which allows us to provide unequalled color flexibility to satisfy the most particular requirements. We’re also capable of producing unique lighting effects such as metallic and pastel colors that other gobo manufacturers simply cannot match.

Ultra-Thin Layers

Custom colored glass gobos are made by stacking layers of dichroic glass with custom, etched patterns on top of each other in order to subtractively mix the colors needed for the image. Because Rosco manufactures its own dichroic glass, we are capable of producing ultra-thin CMYK layers to assemble incredibly thin gobos. Rosco Custom Glass Gobos are as thin as 1.1 mm for B&W and one-color gobos, and 1.9mm for multi-color gobos. This is particularly important because our ultra-thin glass gobos offer a superior focal plane for excellent image projection using the optical capabilities of modern gobo projectors and moving lights.

Gobo Wet Etching For Clean Vertical Cuts Colorcut

Precise Imaging for Clean Line Detail

Rosco has revolutionized gobo etching, yielding a durable (8 mil) gobo with exceptional image quality. When it comes to gobos, tiny imperfections on the surface turn into large issues when they’re projected. Our precise vertical cuts produce a cleaner projection with less “feathering” of the image than other etching techniques and allow for the smallest line point size, which gives us greater capability to customize very small metal gobos.

Standard Steel Designs In B&W Glass

Many modern moving-lights generate so much heat that they are unable to use steel gobos. You can now get any Rosco or GAM gobo design, many of which are designed BY lighting designers FOR lighting designers, in a durable, heat-resistant Black & White Glass Gobo. These B&W custom glass gobos are available in virtually any size for any fixture, and they’ve got special, affordable pricing so that you can keep your favorite Rosco or GAM pattern in your design.

Custom B&W Glass Gobos

Substrate: Borofloat Glass

Gobo Thickness: 1.1mm (depending on type)

Size range: 8mm - 110mm (additional charges may apply for extra-large sizes)

Image Screen: Multiple screening processes, fixture & artwork specific

Thermal Specs

Substrate: Maximum short term - (< 1 hour): 450° C

Maximum Continuous - (> 24 hours): 400° C

Coating: Maximum Short Term (< 1 hour): 250º C

Maximum Continuous (> 24 hours): 200º C

Coating Information: Ultra Matte & Black AL. Some fixtures require specialized coatings which Rosco can produce for additional costs, examples include some Clay Paky units, Robe, and other fixtures with use of certain lamps and optical pathways. There are some fixtures where, due to the high energy intensity of their beam-path, type of lamp used or internal heat of the unit, we cannot guarantee lifespan or durability of the gobo. Contact Rosco with any questions or for assistance with specific fixture concerns.

Gobo-carrier charges may apply for fixtures that require specialized carriers.

Custom Color Glass Gobos

Substrate: Borofloat Glass

Gobo Thickness: 1.1mm – 1.9mm (depending on type)

Size Range: 10mm to 110mm (additional charges may apply for extra-large sizes)

Image Screen: Multiple screening processes, fixture & artwork specific

Thermal Specs

Substrate: Maximum short term - (< 1 hour): 450° C

Maximum Continuous - (> 24 hours): 400° C

Coating: Maximum Short Term (< 1 hour): 250º C

Maximum Continuous (> 24 hours): 200º C

Coating Information: Rosco-manufactured CMY dichroic glass. Some fixtures require specialized coatings which Rosco can produce for additional costs, examples include some Clay Paky units, Robe, and other fixtures with use of certain lamps and optical pathways. There are some fixtures where, due to the high energy intensity of their beam-path, type of lamp used or internal heat of the unit, we cannot guarantee lifespan or durability of the gobo. Contact Rosco with any questions or for assistance with specific fixture concerns.

All dichroic layers are bezeled according to light-fixture specifications. Gobo-carrier charges may apply for fixtures that require specialized carriers.

Guidelines For Your Custom Glass Gobo Order

Artwork Requirements

Type	DPI	Notes
B&W: line art, grey-scale or photographic	600 dpi	Smooth tonal values require high resolution images.
Multi-Color: line art or Hi-Definition photo-gobo	800 dpi	To achieve smooth color blends and fine details requires a very high resolution file.

Gobo Size and/or Fixture Type
Rosco can manufacture custom glass gobos to fit virtually any light fixture available. The fixture you use will determine the size of the gobo you need and sometimes the black coatings. If you know the gobo size (B-size, M-size, etc) that your fixture requires, then that’s all we need. If you don’t know the actual gobo size, many times the fixture manufacturer will provide its gobo requirements, including the gobo’s outer diameter (O.D.) and image area (I.A.). To be sure you get a gobo that fits your fixture, it's always best to provide the make and model of the lighting instrument you are using when ordering. In some cases, particularly with new moving lights, a custom carrier is needed to mount the gobo inside the fixture. We do not stock gobo carriers for every moving light. Contact Rosco to determine the best route for acquiring the gobo carriers you may need.

A reference to our list of gobo fixtures under 30mm can be found here.
Logistics
How many gobos do you need? Remember that the original gobo has a higher price to cover the design and tooling of your custom pattern, while copies of the same artwork and gobo size will cost significantly less. Do you want an extra copy to have on-hand as a backup? When do you need the gobos? What is the Ship-To address and what shipping method should we use to get your gobo to you on-time?
Pick A Dealer
Rosco sells through its distribution network of global dealers. We are happy to work with you directly concerning artwork and technical matters for your custom gobo order. When it comes time to place the actual order however, you will need to contact an authorized Rosco dealer. If you do not have a Rosco dealer that you’re used to working with, we can provide you with a list of dealers that are experts in providing world-class custom gobo service.

Turnaround Times
Rosco strives to meet whatever deadline the customer requires. We routinely ship gobos more quickly than the chart below indicates:

Type	Delivery	Details
B&W or One-Color	2 Days	Gobo will be ready to ship 2 working days ARCO. (standard coatings)
Two-Color	3 Days	Gobo will be ready to ship within 3 working days ARCO.
Three-Color	3 Days	Gobo will be ready to ship within 3 working days ARCO.
Multi-Color / Hi-Def	4 - 5 Days	Gobo will be ready to ship within 4 - 5 working days ARCO.
* ARCO = After Receipt of Complete Order. Complete order means we have received (a) acceptable artwork, (b) job details including gobo size, quantity, image details, etc., (c) Purchase Order from authorized Rosco Dealer. Rosco cannot begin to work on a job until we have received all of this information.

Rush options are also available for customers that need their custom glass gobo faster than the chart above reflects (additional Rush Charges may apply).

For standard or custom glass orders exceeding 30 gobos please contact us for a lead time.

To ensure that you get the right type of gobo for your artwork, please view our Glass Gobo Color Specifications for Custom Artwork