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Gobos are glass and metal panes used for projecting pictures, texts, logos and abstract shapes. They work just like slides but additionally they can withstand the high temperatures generated during shows by projectors.
Their name is of uncertain origin. The most reliable source is born in US theaters. When the director wanted the stage spotlights to go dark, he said "GO Black Out", hence "GO-BO" and then Gobo.
Others say the name comes from "Goes Before Optics".
In the beginning there were only metal gobos, made from 0.2 to 1mm thin metal foils, as 20 to 100mm dishes. In this kind of gobos, pictures or texts are reproduced by piercing the metal foil. There are several piercing techniques, from chemical photoengraving to laser engraving.
During the 90s, glass gobos are manufactured by special many-colored optic filters. This way, much more complex pictures, in all shades of colors, can be reproduced.
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