A method and device for the contactless detection of flat objects, particularly in sheet form, such as paper, films, foils, plates, and similar flat materials or packs. At least one correction characteristic is supplied to an evaluating device downstream of a sensor device, specifically a receiver, by means of which the characteristic of an input voltage of a measuring signal in the receiver is so simulated as a function of the gram weight or weight per unit area of flat objects as a target characteristic that there is a linear or almost linear dependence or a characteristic approximated to the ideal characteristic for single sheet detection in the form of a target characteristic.