An X-ray set-up can be suitable to record absorption, phase contrast, and dark field images of an object. The arrangement improves the visibility of low absorbing specimens and reduces the required radiation dose. The arrangement includes: a) an X-ray source； b) a set of at least two gratings； c) a position - sensitive detector with spatially modulated detection sensitivity； d) means for recording the images of the detector； e) means for evaluating the intensities for each pixel to identify the characteristic of the object for each individual pixel as an absorption and/or a differential phase contrast and/or an x-ray scattering dominated pixel； f) wherein the series of images is collected by continuously or stepwise rotating from 0 to n or 2n either the sample or the arrangement relative to the sample g) wherein the gratings are manufactured according to a novel planar geometry where the X-rays pass through the gratings parallel to the substrate, h) whereby the grating structures extend along the x-ray path which determines the phase shift and attenuation that these grating structures cause to the x-rays, being no longer given by the thickness of the structures, but by the length of the grating structures.
