White-beam topography produces a pattern of several diffraction spots, each spot being related to one specific lattice plane in the crystal. This pattern, typically recorded on X-ray film, corresponds to a Laue pattern and shows the symmetry of the crystal lattice. The fine structure of each single spot (topograph) is related to defects and distortions in the sample. The distance between spots, and the details of contrast within one single spot, depend on the distance between sample and film; this distance is therefore an important degree of freedom for white-beam topography experiments.