An overview of and practical guide to the various computer-aided light microscopical techniques used in materials science today. After introducing the reader to the basic concepts of optics, the interactions between light and matter, and image processing, the book goes on to discuss in depth both 2-d reflection microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The application of these techniques to the characterisation of materials is abundantly illustrated through specific case studies. There is also discussion of other modern optical imaging techniques and even of non-optical ones such as x-ray micography.