Ground Flat Stock - Color Codes
Some manufacturers paint the color code on at least one end of each piece of ground flat stock. Others put a color-coded label on the package. There is no industry standard recognized by all manufacturers. For example, the Precision Marshall Company’s O-1 flats are green while the DB&S Steel Company’s O-1 flats are yellow. Be careful to avoid confusion when you buy from different companies.
The Color Code by Manufacturer Table below lists the color codes of the leading North American manufacturers. To use the table, find a steel grades in the left column. Read the color code in the other columns of the same row. An empty cell indicates that the manufacturer does not offer the steel grade.
| Steel Grade | Precision Marshall | DB&S Steel | Starrett | Precision Brand |
| O-1 | Green | Yellow | Red | No Color |
| A-2 | Blue | Green | Blue | |
| A-6 | Violet (Purple) | Light Blue | ||
| D-2 | White | Orange | Green | |
| H-13 | Brown | |||
| W-1 | Red | |||
| C-1018 | Yellow | Red | ||
| S-7 | Black | Blue | ||
| M-2 | Brown | |||
| 4142 | Red | White | ||
| 410 | Orange | |||
| 420 | Pink | |||
| 440C | Light Blue |
The Precision Marshall Company ships their ground flat stock pieces coated with light-weight oil and individually packaged in a vapor-resistant envelope which has the size and steel grade clearly marked. Each piece is painted with the following color code to identify the steel grade.
The DB&S Steel Company ships their ground flat stock pieces coated with light-weight oil and individually packaged in a vapor-resistant envelope which has the size and steel grade clearly marked. Each piece is painted with the following color code to identify the steel grade.
The Starrett Company ground flat stock is packaged in industry standard brown paper wrap. The steel grade is indicated by a color-code label on the outside of the package. The color code is not painted on the pieces. Instead, the steel grade is printed in black letters on each piece.
The Precision Brand Products Company has Oil Hardening Ground Flat Stock without a color code.