FED-STD-595, Colors Used in Government Procurement, has been officially cancelled. The Cancellation Notice 2 for Revision C has been released and can be purchased from Document Center Inc. if needed. The cancellation makes the transition to the AMS-STD-595 official. All procurement using the FED-STD-595 should now be made using the AMS-STD-595 instead.
You will note that the AMS-STD-595 was released back in 2015. However, there has been a recent update to the publication. This is the Revision A released 2/10/2017. You’ll note that the transition become official only after the new Revision A was released for the AMS edition by SAE.
If you’d like to learn more about the AMS-STD-595 Revision A, please see my previous post: New AMS Standard AMS-STD-595 Revision A – Color Standard Updated. In that post, I review the changes that have been recently made to the document.
For those of you used to using the FED-STD-595, I’m sure there’s a number of questions that remain. First of all, why did the document need to change? I believe that the costs associated with publishing and distributing the publication became difficult for GSA (the original caretaker) to support. This was an unusual Federal Standard, with the color chips included in the publication. Finding an industry organization willing to take on the maintenance and distribution costs was in line with the federal government’s mandate to use external standards where ever possible.
Also, FED-STD-595 was widely used throughout industry, not only for DoD and Federal procurement. So having an industry association maintain the document allows for broader input during the revision cycle. Migration to SAE International (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers) is a natural fit.
What’s the downside for users of the FED-STD-595? Of course, it’s the increased cost of the publication. And the fact that the color chips are no longer included along with the text portion of the document. The AMS-STD-595 does not include any color chips. These must be purchased separately, as the traditional fanbook or individual color chips.
What’s the upside? The underlying color reference media information has been expanded. The use of the CIE L*a*b* color values is now a part of the standard. So moving forward, the fundamental values of colors are likely to be linked to more commonly used color systems.
Should you need a copy of the cancellation notice for FED-STD-595, please get in touch with us by phone (650-591-7600) or email (info@document-center.com). We can provide it to you in either paper format or for pdf download for a nominal fee. To order the AMS-STD-595 or any of the color chips, try using the Document Center Inc. webstore at www.document-center.com. Here is a direct link to the order page for the AMS-STD-595. If you’d like to see an expanded catalog of the color chip choices, please review this AMS-STD-595 options page.
Document Center Inc. has been selling standards since 1982 and working with SAE under contract since the 1980’s. We have a wide range of support services to help you with your Standards Requirements. And we have the knowledge to assist you with the various questions that routinely come up. Make us your Standards Experts!
