1. A method of objectively evaluating a surface mark, comprising the steps of: reproducibly producing a surface mark on an object; and optically evaluating the surface mark by optically producing images of the surface mark by (i) illuminating the surface mark at a first angle relative to a reference plane extending substantially perpendicular to the surface mark; and (ii) capturing an image of the illuminated surface mark at a second angle relative to the reference plane, wherein the orientation of the surface mark in the plane of the sample surface is horizontal to image detector means.