A gasket, particularly a cylinder head gasket is described, which is made from a pressure-resistant and non-deformable material. Unlike in the case of the known gaskets, it is permanently shaped prior to assembly. The sealing surface is shaped complimentary to the deflection or sagging of the surfaces to be sealed, so that at all bearing points in the use case there is the thickness distribution required for a necessary pressure distribution. The corresponding topography is obtained in that a deformable assembly pattern is fixed under operating conditions between the surfaces to be sealed and copies are made of said assembly pattern.