A classification according to coloristic properties provides an overview. Effect pigments can be transparent, semitransparent or opaque in nature. The coloristic impression of effect pigments can be black, silver, colored or goniochromatic. In a simple picture, the existing pigments can be arranged according to these properties (Figure 1).
Along the horizontal axis the effect pigment world is classified according to transparency: opaque groups are 1, 2, 5 and 8; semitransparent are pigments in groups 3, 6 and 9; and transparent pigments are in groups 4, 7 and 10.