ISO 4586-1:2004 establishes a classification system for high-pressure decorative laminated sheets according to their performance and main recommended fields of application, including materials with special characteristics, for example postformability or defined reaction to fire.

It also specifies requirements on the properties of the various types of laminate covered by this classification. These materials are characterized by their decorative surfaces, which are relatively hard and resistant to wear, scratching, impact, boiling water, domestic stains and moderate heat. They are intended for interior applications as follows:

1. thin single-faced laminates usually less than 2 mm thick, for bonding to a substrate;
2. compact laminates, single- or double-faced, approximately 2 mm to 5 mm thick, which need to be rigidly supported without necessarily being bonded to a substrate;
3. compact laminates, self-supporting, double-faced, usually thicker than 5 mm, the thickness of which will be selected according to application and panel dimensions.