KiBuzzard had an idea I liked: type a label, choose how it should look, and put it on a board. That is a much nicer job than drawing letters and their background one shape at a time.
Kobee Studio started as a fork of KiBuzzard, by Greg Davill. I kept building because I wanted to give the other little markings on a PCB the same attention. A pin legend. A switch label. A polarity symbol. A link to the board’s documentation.
That is the reason for the project. I enjoy making hardware, and I want the board to be a little easier to understand when someone picks it up.
The label was the starting point
KiBuzzard’s upstream guide covers labels in different fonts, inverted backgrounds and loading extra TrueType fonts. Those are useful foundations, and Kobee Studio owes a lot to them. It also owes a lot to the open-source tools underneath both projects.
I do not think every PCB needs a whole graphics studio. If KiBuzzard already makes the labels you want and works well in your setup, keep using it. This is not a reason to replace a tool you are happy with.
The cases that interested me were the ones around the label. A row of connector pins has an order, a pitch and a plug body that can cover the text. A button has a physical envelope. A QR code needs clear space and a sensible size. Treating those as individual drawing jobs gets repetitive.
What I wanted around it
Kobee Studio brings those jobs into the artwork editor: symbols and reusable quick labels, connector overlays, component callouts and arrays, QR codes and barcodes. The output stays editable KiCad geometry, with settings saved so you can reopen an item later.
Stable 1.4.1 also has custom SVG symbol libraries, saved profiles, unit display choices and backups. The 1.5.x development work expands into font management, standalone graphics and PNG tracing, more connector pitches, designators and project-variable labels.
That distinction matters: 1.5.x is development/testing work at the time of writing. The public stable package is still 1.4.1. I would rather be clear about that than make a list that implies every new feature is already in the normal download.
The board image above is a KiCad render of the editable example project, not a photograph of a manufactured board.
Is Kobee Studio a KiBuzzard alternative?
Yes, if you want to try the broader workflow. The comparison in the manual connects the tools to actual tasks, includes version and licensing notes, and explains what to check on an existing board.
I have not put together a winner/loser feature score or a speed benchmark. It would say very little about whether either tool helps with the board on your bench. The useful test is smaller: can you make the marking you need, place it where it belongs, and change it later without a fuss?
Kobee Studio targets KiCad 10’s IPC plugin workflow. Check the package and compatibility information for the version you use; do not take an old README example as proof that another plugin is broken on a newer KiCad release.
Try one board detail first
Make a copy of a project and try one ordinary label, then one task you otherwise make by hand. Reopen the artwork, change the text, and inspect the real dimensions. If you use the back of the board, check its reading direction in 3D and the fabrication output too.
Keep the original labels and assets while testing. Compatibility handling for older artwork is useful, but it is not a promise that every old label, font or manual geometry edit can be regenerated without a difference.
Kobee Studio is available in KiCad’s official plugin repository. Open Plugin and Content Manager, refresh the official catalogue, search for Kobee Studio, install the offered compatible version and apply pending changes. The install guide also covers custom catalogues and release ZIPs if you deliberately want another available build.
The part I want to keep
This is an indie project, and I want it to stay close to the things people actually do with their boards. A small tool that makes a connector easier to read is worth spending time on. So is a good bug report that shows where a seemingly sensible default fails.
If you try it, a small example or issue report is welcome. And if you keep using KiBuzzard, that is fine too. Greg’s work is why this project had such a useful place to start.