This document defines the terms related to the general types of surface-finishing processes. Emphasis is placed on practical usage in surface-finishing technology in the metal-finishing field.

This document does not include terms for porcelain and vitreous enamel, thermally sprayed coatings and galvanising for which specialized vocabularies and glossaries exist. For the most part, basic terms that have the same meaning in surface finishing as in other fields of technology, and that are defined in handbooks and dictionaries of chemistry and physics, are not included.