This part of ISO 7724 describes the method for determining the colour co-ordinates of paint films. The method is only applicable to paint films that appear to be uniformly of one colour, i.e. monochromatic, when examined with normal vision. Paint films that do not completely hide a non-transparent substrate represent an opaque system and may be measured by using the procedure described in this part of ISO 7724.

Luminescent paint films, transparent paint films and translucent paint films (for example for displays or lamp glass), retroreflecting paint films (for example for traffic signs), and metallic paint films are outside the scope of this part of ISO 7724.