Abstract. We consider elliptic problems with non standard growth conditions whose most prominent model example is the p(x)-Laplacean equationwith a measure data right-hand side µ. We prove pointwise gradient estimates in terms of a non standard version of the non-linear Wolff potential of the right-hand side measure, and moreover a characterization for C 1 -regularity of the solution, also in terms of the Wolff potential. The C 1 -regularity criterion is also related to the density of µ and the decay rate of its L n -norm on small balls. Moreover, from the pointwise gradient estimates the Calderón and Zygmund theory and several types of local estimates follow as a consequence.