AbstractFore‐vacuum (pressure ≥ 3 Pa) evaporation of carbon fibers and rods to thin films has been tested and the resulting thicknesses recorded. A modified sputter coater was used as a vacuum evaporator. The quality of the carbon films was evaluated by bright‐field and dark‐field electron microscopy. Although high‐vacuum‐evaporated carbon films are superior in quality, low‐vacuum‐evaporated carbon films were found fully acceptable for routine work in bright field, for both TEM and SEM purposes. Apart from being time‐saving, the method presented has the obvious advantage, in SEM preparations, that carbon coating and metal sputtering can be carried out in the same unit without br