An experimental method for direct comparison of surface roughening after plastic deformation and deformation of grains is developed. The shape of the free surface after plastic deformation is measured with a stylus measuring instrument and the data is entered into a personal computer. A new experimental technique for creating a precise 3-dimensional pattern of the surface is developed in the present paper. The pattern of grain boundaries observed by a microscope is also recorded in the computer and both figures are superposed on the display. Some experiments are performed on the compressive deformation of polycrystalline iron and discussion is presented on the relationship between surface roughening and deformation of grains.