Abstract: The subject of the invention is a method and a device for detecting faults in or on an object. The object form is measured and then compared with a master form. In this comparison one point and one line of the object form and of the master form with reference to a coordinate system, are brought into coincidence by shifting the form or master form. Partial forms and partial master forms are then displaced relative to one another in partial areas of the coordinate system until a maximum overlap is detected. Then the nonoverlapping points of the partial forms are checked for faults.