AMS-STD-595 (FED-STD-595) Colors: 34094, 33446, 37038 and More

If you buy or design parts for defense, aerospace or government programs, you will see callouts like “color 34094” or “FS 37038” on drawings. Those numbers come from a single federal color standard, now called AMS-STD-595. This guide explains where the standard came from, how the numbers work, which military colors come up most, and the difference between a true CARC color and a commercial match to a 595 chip. It ends with how to write the callout.

From FED-STD-595 to AMS-STD-595

Federal Standard 595, “Colors Used in Government Procurement,” was first issued in 1956. It went through revisions A, B and C, and by FED-STD-595C (2008) it held 650 colors.

On February 14, 2017, FED-STD-595C was canceled. The Department of Defense adopted SAE AMS-STD-595, which supersedes it. SAE now maintains the standard. The current revision, AMS-STD-595A, was published with 692 colors, and SAE has added more through later amendments. When a new color is added, SAE has a drawdown made to match the requester’s sample and adds the color to the standard along with its CIELAB values.

What this means in practice:

• Most numbers carried over unchanged. A drawing that says “FED-STD-595 color 34094” and one that says “AMS-STD-595 color 34094” point to the same green.
• Old drawings are still common. Plenty of active part numbers still reference FED-STD-595, FS 595B or FS 595C. A painter can work from those, but if you are revising the drawing anyway, update the reference to AMS-STD-595.
• Searches still use the old name. People still say “fed std 595 colors” and “FS numbers.” They mean the same five-digit system.

How the five-digit number works

Every 595 color is a five-digit number. The standard identifies colors by number, not by name. Names like “Green 383” or “Tan 686A” come from the military coating programs that use those colors. Each part of the number tells you something.

First digit: gloss level

This is the digit buyers most often get wrong. FS 37038 is a flat black. If you want a glossy black, the number starts with a 1. CARC colors are all flat, so CARC numbers start with 3. Don’t assume that for every military callout, though. Some non-CARC aircraft and equipment colors are gloss or semi-gloss, so read the first digit every time.

Not every color is published in every gloss level. If you want a different sheen than the number shows, check that the number with the new first digit actually exists in the standard before you change the drawing.

Second digit: color family

Last three digits: the shade

The last three digits identify the specific color within that family. Lower numbers are generally darker and higher numbers generally lighter, so 37038 (black) sits near the bottom of the “7” family.

Reading a few numbers

• 34094: 3 = flat, 4 = green. The standard woodland CARC green.
• 33446: 3 = flat, 3 = yellow/tan. The desert tan.
• 37038: 3 = flat, 7 = other. A flat black.
• 36375: 3 = flat, 6 = gray. A light gray seen on aircraft topcoats.

Common military 595 colors

These are the military colors that come up most often in CARC and aviation callouts. The CARC names come from the US Army Public Health Command CARC fact sheet. This is not a full chart. For any number not listed here, the standard itself (or an individual chip) is the reference.

Two notes on this list:

1. The name is not the spec. “Green 383” on a drawing is shorthand. The number 34094 defines the color. The coating callout around it defines the paint.
2. Olive drab is messy. Several FS numbers get called “olive drab” depending on the era and the paint. If your drawing says only “olive drab,” ask the engineer for the number before you quote or buy paint.

A CARC color vs. a commercial match to a 595 chip

This is the most important distinction on the page.

A 595 number is a color target, not a coating specification. One paint supplier puts it plainly: the FS number “is the color reference target, not a complete coating specification.” You can match 34094 in almost any paint or powder. Matching the color does not make the part CARC.

CARC is a qualified coating system. Chemical Agent Resistant Coating is a low-gloss polyurethane system whose surface resists absorbing chemical warfare agents. CARC colors are also formulated for low visibility, including near-infrared properties. The topcoat has to meet its military specification, such as MIL-DTL-53039 or MIL-DTL-64159, and must be bought from a manufacturer on the Qualified Products List. It goes over a qualified epoxy primer and is applied and inspected per MIL-DTL-53072. Our CARC painting guide covers the full system.

So when a drawing calls for “34094,” ask which of these it means:

Some paint sold as “CARC substitute” or “CARC color” is a commercial match to the chip, not a qualified CARC product. If a prime’s contract flows down CARC, a color-matched substitute will not pass review. If the drawing only needs the color, a commercial match is usually the faster and less expensive path.

Can powder coating hit a 595 color?

Yes, as a color match. A powder can be made to a 595 number and gloss level, and for parts that only need the color, powder is often a durable and economical choice. See our production powder coating page for how we run those jobs. What powder does not do is replace a callout that names a qualified liquid system. When the drawing says MIL-DTL-53039 or MIL-PRF-85285, we paint to that spec in liquid through our mil-spec painting service.

Checking color: chips, not fan decks

Fan decks are handy for choosing a color, but they are not for acceptance. A supplier of the standard notes that neither the AMS-STD-595A nor the FED-STD-595C fan deck is meant for QC or inspection, which “is the job of individual color chips.”

Practical tips for buyers and inspectors:

• Agree on the reference. If your receiving inspection compares parts to a chip, tell us at quote time. If you have a customer-approved standard panel, send it.
• Compare at the right gloss. A flat part next to a gloss chip will look like a different color even when the hue is right. Use a chip at the gloss level the number calls for.
• Use consistent light. Two coatings can match under one light and drift under another. Check under the lighting your inspector will use.
• Keep the record. On programs that need a Certificate of Conformance, the color number belongs on the CoC with the coating spec. We provide CoCs on request and follow your QC procedure on production programs. Our defense and government page covers the paperwork side.

How to specify a 595 color on a drawing or PO

A good color callout names the coating, the color number, the standard and the gloss together. Here are two patterns we see on drawings.

A CARC system:

Finish: pretreat and prime per MIL-DTL-53072; MIL-DTL-53022 Type IV primer; MIL-DTL-53039 Type IX topcoat, color 34094 (Green 383) per AMS-STD-595.

An aerospace polyurethane:

MIL-PRF-85285 Type I, Class H, color 36375 per AMS-STD-595.

For a commercial match, the callout looks like this:

Powder coat, polyester, color matched to 37038 per AMS-STD-595, flat. Not CARC.

Checklist before you release the drawing or send the PO:

1. Write the full five-digit number. “34094,” not “383 green.” Names vary; numbers don’t.
2. Cite AMS-STD-595. It is the current standard. “FED-STD-595” still communicates the color, but it points to a canceled document.
3. Make sure the first digit matches the gloss you want. If the drawing says 37038 and a note says “semi-gloss,” the callout contradicts itself.
4. Say whether CARC or another qualified system is required. If it is, name the topcoat and primer specs. If it isn’t, say “commercial color match” or “not CARC” so nobody over-quotes or under-delivers.
5. Name the coating type. Powder, liquid epoxy, liquid polyurethane. The color number doesn’t tell the finisher what to spray.
6. State the inspection method. Chip comparison, customer standard panel, or your QC procedure.
7. Add film thickness and paperwork needs. DFT range, and whether you need a CoC.

Our coating callout checklist covers the rest of the finish note, including prep, masking and thickness.

How we handle 595 color work

We paint to the specification on your drawing or PO. We have applied CARC topcoats, aerospace epoxy primer with polyurethane topcoat, and AMS-STD-595 color matches. For CARC, we apply QPL-listed CARC materials per MIL-DTL-53072. For parts that only need the color, we can match the 595 number in a commercial liquid or a powder, and the paperwork says exactly that. Each job is quoted to its spec. Stricter specs take more work to apply and inspect, and the quote reflects that. When you request a quote, include the drawing, the color number, the coating spec and the quantity, and we will tell you which path fits the part.