The invention concerns a method and a device for visually inspecting objects to be tested during the production and/or packaging of cigarettes - test objects -, more particularly cigarette packets (10) and/or blanks (14, 22) for cigarette packets (10) and/or overprints and/or print substrates on or for cigarette packets (10) using a suitable testing device. For at least one feature characterizing the test object (10, 14, 18, 29, 30), more particularly visually, a set of feature value alternatives (31a-c; 32a-b) for the corresponding feature stored in a memory is displayed on a display means such as a screen. An input arrangement, a keyboard or a pointing device, is used to select one of the displayed feature values of the set of feature value alternatives (31a-c; 32a-b). The testing device, more particularly an evaluation arrangement and/or an illumination arrangement (26) and/or a suitable light detector (11) of the testing device, is automatically set-up or pre-configured for the subsequent test cycles, the choice of feature value (31a; 32a) influencing the set-up of the testing device. The test objects (10, 14, 18, 29, 30) are tested using the set-up testing device.