What does the word ‘clear’ mean from an electroplater’s prospective?

When an electroplater says ‘clear’ zinc, ‘clear’ chemical film or ‘clear’ anodize, the word ‘clear’ refers to the fact, that no dye will be used to change the color.  This does not necessarily mean that the color will not change.  For example, the hard anodize process produces a dark colored deposit.  A clear hard anodize will still be a dark color, but a dye or chromate will not be used to change the color.  A clear zinc, clear chemical film on aluminum is still typically a silvery color.  A clear anodize of 7000 series aluminum will have a yellow tone.