US Federal Standard color guides

The Federal Standard color system, officially named Federal Standard 595C - Colors Used in Government Procurement, is a United States Federal Standard, issued by the General Services Administration.

Federal Standard 595C from 2008 is now obsolete and has been superseded by AMS Standard 595A from 2017 and administered by SAE^®.

Click here to purchase the AMS Std. 595A colour fan.

The standard is also widely referred to as FED-STD-595, FS-595, or similar names with the version letter appended.

Federal Standard 595 is the color description and communication system developed in 1956 and last revised in 2008.

Each color in the Federal Standard 595C range is identified by a five-digit code. The colors in the standard have no official names.

The initial letter refers to the level of gloss:
1xxxx: Gloss: min 80
2xxxx: Semi-gloss: 30-45
3xxxx: Flat/Matt: max 6