Surface structures at micro-/nano-scale have been studied in many fields for their wide range of applications. To understand the interdependences between surface structures and functional performances accurately, fabrication methods of complex structures with controllable surface parameters are crucial to be investigated. Toward this purpose, 3D non-Gaussian surfaces were designed and fabricated here. Two typical design methods were compared, which are based on Johnson translator and Pearson translator respectively. Several suggestions were provided to improve the design accuracy and efficiency. Primary roughness surfaces have been fabricated by laser direct writing. Different scanning paths and designed structures were compared to optimize the fabrication accuracy. The statistical and spectral characteristics of the fabricated roughness surfaces were demonstrated to be in accord with the designed values. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.