Despite a number of recommended preparation methods are available on internet, in publications or books, detailed and practical information about the preparation parameters is still missing. In general, almost all samples for EBSD observation need to be mechanically polished carefully. The suggested steps based on the experience in our group for the mechanical polishing sequence are listed in Table 1. When preparing soft materials (e.g. pure Al and its alloys), it is recommended to grind with a soap coating on SiC paper to avoid deep scratches or being embedded by hard particles. The grinding/polishing force depends on the hardness of materials, and less force is normally used with softer materials. Some materials such as magnesium alloys should never touch water after the last step listed in Table