Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has been used to study the surfaces of both the nickel-master disks and the stamped polycarbonate replicas produced during manufacture of compact disks (CD’s). Tunneling directly onto the nickel-master disk in air reveals the three-dimensional shapes and heights of the pits. The quantitative surface roughness of the tops and bases of the pits can be accurately gauged during high-magnification scans. Thin-sputtered gold films (< 20 nm) on the polycarbonate replicas allow direct measurement of the depth of the pits on the mass produced disks. We discuss the requirements for producing high-quality STM images on these types of surfaces with particular reference to the effects of the tip radius r.