ISO 14997:2017规定了实施表面缺陷评估方法的物理原理和实用手段。 对于使用可见性方法指定的缺陷，描述了两种检查方法。首先是在没有任何比较标准的情况下对表面进行视觉评估（IVV）。第二个是与已知亮度的假象(ISV)相比时表面缺陷的可见性评估。 对于使用尺寸法指定的缺陷，描述了三种方法。第一种是在没有任何比较标准的情况下对表面进行视觉评估（IVD）。第二个是与已知尺寸的伪影（ISD）相比时表面缺陷的尺寸评估。第三种是使用放大率和已知尺寸的比较伪影或标线或尺子(IMD)对表面缺陷进行尺寸测量。存在允许客观测量亮度（数字散射测量）或尺寸（数字显微镜）的仪器。虽然这些仪器可用于评估表面缺陷，但它们超出了本文档的范围。 ISO 14997:2017适用于双峰或三峰等部件或组件的光学表面。 ISO 14997:2017可应用于光学塑料部件；然而，值得注意的是，对塑料材料的冲击损伤通常看起来与对较硬材料的冲击损伤非常不同，因为它并不总是导致材料的去除，而是会使材料移位，从而在表面上引起波纹。因此，塑料上的划痕和挖掘损伤与玻璃或晶体材料上的划痕和挖掘损伤的视觉比较会给出非常不同的结果。

ISO 14997:2017 specifies the physical principles and practical means for the implementation of methods for evaluating surface imperfections. For imperfections specified using the visibility method, two inspection methods are described. The first is visual evaluation of the surface without any comparison standard (IV_V). The second is a visibility assessment of a surface imperfection when compared to an artefact of known brightness (IS_V). For imperfections specified using the dimensional method, three methods are described. The first is visual evaluation of the surface without any comparison standard (IV_D). The second is a dimensional assessment of a surface imperfection when compared to an artefact of known size (IS_D). The third is the dimensional measurement of a surface imperfection using magnification and either a comparison artefact of known size or a reticle or ruler (IM_D). Instruments exist that allow objective measurement of brightness (digital scatterometry) or size (digital microscopy). While these instruments can be used for evaluation of surface imperfections, they are beyond the scope of this document. ISO 14997:2017 applies to optical surfaces of components or assemblies such as doublets or triplets. ISO 14997:2017 can be applied to optical plastic components; however, attention is drawn to the fact that impact damage to plastic materials often looks very different from that on harder materials as it does not always result in the removal of material but instead can displace material, causing ripples in the surface. Consequently, visual comparisons of scratch and dig damage to plastic with those on glass or crystalline materials can give very different results.