Method for positioning and optionally aligning a tablet-form sample, such as tablet, pill, oblong, dragée, capsule or the like, on a bearing surface of a slide using an openable and closable jaw assembly (40, 41) with two opposing jaws (40, 41) each of which comprises a contact face (46, 46') facing the in each case other jaw (40, 41), wherein - at least one of the jaws (40, 41) comprises a recess that is implemented such that between the contact faces (46, 46') an interspace is located for receiving the sample, which interspace is enlargeable or diminishable for opening the jaw assembly (40, 41) and for closing the jaw assembly (40, 41), respectively, - the jaws (40, 41) are implemented such that, with the jaw assembly (40, 41) open, the sample (31, 50) can be introduced into the interspace through an access opening and, with the jaw assembly (40, 41) closed, is retainable therein under form closure or force closure, and the following steps are carried out: a) the jaw assembly (40, 41) is opened, b) the sample (31, 50) is placed onto the bearing surface of the slide, c) the jaw assembly (40, 41) and the slide are moved relative to one another such that the sample (31, 50) passes through the access opening and comes to lie in the interspace, d) the jaw assembly (40, 41) is closed and the sample (31, 50) is hereby positioned at a site, determined by the form of the contact faces (46, 46'), on the bearing surface of the slide and optionally aligned, wherein the closing movement of the jaw assembly (40, 41) in step c) is mechanically derived from the relative movement between slide and jaw assembly (40, 41). - at least one of the jaws (40, 41) comprises a recess that is implemented such that between the contact faces (46, 46') an interspace is located for receiving the sample, which interspace is enlargeable or diminishable for opening the jaw assembly (40, 41) and for closing the jaw assembly (40, 41), respectively, - the jaws (40, 41) are implemented such that, with the jaw assembly (40, 41) open, the sample (31, 50) can be introduced into the interspace through an access opening and, with the jaw assembly (40, 41) closed, is retainable therein under form closure or force closure, and the following steps are carried out: a) the jaw assembly (40, 41) is opened, b) the sample (31, 50) is placed onto the bearing surface of the slide, c) the jaw assembly (40, 41) and the slide are moved relative to one another such that the sample (31, 50) passes through the access opening and comes to lie in the interspace, d) the jaw assembly (40, 41) is closed and the sample (31, 50) is hereby positioned at a site, determined by the form of the contact faces (46, 46'), on the bearing surface of the slide and optionally aligned, wherein a) the jaw assembly (40, 41) is opened, b) the sample (31, 50) is placed onto the bearing surface of the slide, c) the jaw assembly (40, 41) and the slide are moved relative to one another such that the sample (31, 50) passes through the access opening and comes to lie in the interspace, d) the jaw assembly (40, 41) is closed and the sample (31, 50) is hereby positioned at a site, determined by the form of the contact faces (46, 46'), on the bearing surface of the slide and optionally aligned, wherein