Federal Standard 595 is the color description and communication system developed in 1956 by the United States government.
Its origins reach back to World War II when a problem of providing exact color specifications to military equipment subcontractors in different parts of the world became a matter of urgency.
This collection is then printed on sample color chips and provided to interested parties.
Each color in the Federal Standard 595 range is identified by a five-digit code.
Many prime contractors, such as L3, require the Federal Standard 595 paint chips used for inspection purposes be replaced every two years.