Free online GERBER to SVG converter

PCB documentation, browser previews, and vector-editing applications often require SVG instead of the Gerber files produced by PCB design software. Converting the artwork to SVG preserves scalable geometry for display or editing, but it does not replace the original manufacturing data.

What the GERBER format is

Gerber is the standard photoplotter format used to describe printed-circuit-board artwork. A PCB design program exports separate files for copper layers, solder mask, silkscreen, paste, board outline, and other manufacturing layers; common extensions include .gbr, .ger, .gtl, .gts, and .gto.

Modern Gerber files normally use RS-274X, which stores coordinates, drawing commands, apertures, fills, and polarity information in one file. KiCad, Altium Designer, Autodesk Fusion electronics tools, Autodesk EAGLE, OrCAD, and similar CAD systems create Gerber output. You encounter it when a PCB manufacturer requests fabrication files or when a design must be inspected independently of its source CAD project.

What the SVG format is

SVG is an XML-based vector format that represents paths, shapes, fills, strokes, and text. Web browsers, documentation systems, illustration applications, and vector editors can display it without rasterizing the artwork at a fixed resolution.

SVG is useful for embedding a PCB layer in a web page, preparing a manual or assembly drawing, editing outlines in Inkscape, and producing a scalable preview. Its geometry remains resolution-independent, and the file is often smaller than a high-resolution bitmap. SVG does not retain Gerber apertures, CAM-layer semantics, fabrication rules, or the complete manufacturing intent.

How to actually convert GERBER to SVG

Using gerbv

1. Collect the relevant Gerber files and identify each layer from its filename. For example, board-F_Cu.gtl is commonly front copper, board-F_Mask.gts is front solder mask, and board-Edge_Cuts.gm1 may contain the board outline.
2. Open the files in gerbv, the open-source Gerber viewer. Use the layer controls to confirm units, polarity, visibility, and alignment. Load only the layer or combination of layers that should appear in the SVG.
3. Export from the interface with File → Export → SVG, if that menu is available in your build. From a command line, a typical export is:

gerbv -x svg -o board.svg board-F_Cu.gtl

To create a combined artwork preview, pass multiple aligned Gerber files:

gerbv -x svg -o board-preview.svg board-F_Cu.gtl board-F_Mask.gts board-F_Silkscreen.gto board-Edge_Cuts.gm1

Check the resulting SVG in a browser or Inkscape and verify its physical dimensions against the original Gerber viewer. Export each manufacturing layer separately when later editing or documentation requires layer control.

Using the built-in online converter

You can convert the file for free on 101convert.com without installing software: upload the Gerber file, choose SVG as the output format, start the conversion, and download the generated file. Convert individual layers when the source consists of several Gerber files; a single upload normally represents only one layer.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

• Gerber is usually a layer set, not one complete drawing. Converting only .gtl produces front-copper artwork, not the board outline, drill pattern, or complete PCB.
• Excellon drill files such as .drl are separate from Gerber and require separate handling. Do not assume that converting a copper Gerber also converts plated and non-plated holes.
• Negative-polarity regions, custom apertures, and aperture macros must be interpreted correctly by the converter. Inspect clearances, thermal reliefs, filled zones, and cutouts after export.
• Preserve scale and units. SVG viewers may display the artwork correctly while a downstream application imports it at the wrong physical size; compare a known board dimension before editing or fabrication.
• The SVG contains graphical paths rather than the original CAM instructions. Do not send an SVG alone to a PCB manufacturer when the manufacturer requires Gerber and drill files.