Prior editions of BS 381C

[Nobby Clarke]

Can anybody help me?

I’m researching the history of BS 381C through the various editions and amendments from 1930 through the current edition. I am looking for key information (additions, deletions, obsolescent colours as well as colorimetric values) from the prior editions and amendments. I’m in possession of the 1996 edition, but would appreciate relevant information from prior revisions.

Thanks, Nobby

Edited November 2, 2020 by Nobby Clarke

[Circloy]

BSI will be quite happy to sell you copies, if you're lucky the might let you breach their copyright at the same time.

 

https://shop.bsigroup.com/SearchResults/?q=bs 381c

[Nobby Clarke]

Circloy,

I have no intention of breaching copyrights. Maybe my original post was misleading in that respect.

There are numerous websites that show a list of current BS 381C:1996 colour names with colour swatches rendered in RGB, and some even show their colorimetric values.

I’m interested in finding out which colours were added, deleted, obsoleted (?) by each edition. I don’t believe this would be violating BSI copyrights.

[Circloy]

Here's BSI's summary of the last edition

 

https://shop.bsigroup.com/ProductDetail/?pid=000000000000375352

 

As you see it states the document contains "Colorimetric characteristics, Chromaticity, Luminance, Designations, Visual signals, Colorimetry" so any attempt to describe colours that would allow their direct reproduction would put you on very shaky ground. This most likely includes using more modern descriptors e.g. CYMK, RGB.

 

Change history tends to be included as part of the latest revision so also, technically, becomes copyrighted information.

 

There's nothing stopping you doing the research for your own information, or needs, that's partly why standards exist. Just be careful if you intend publishing the information.

[Nobby Clarke]

I am not planning on publishing any of this in a formal sense. I meant that if somebody were to provide me with info, then I would be happy to share whatever else I have gathered in return. 

[Nobby Clarke]

This is getting messy. I think I will edit my original post.

[Kingsman]

Tracking the colours included in each edition should be straightforward assuming that you can find each one.  There are now vastly more colours than in the original edition, but many are the same colour just re-referenced.  For example Light Stone 361 in the current edition is the same colour as Light Stone 61 in older editions.

 

I can't see that compiling a list of the colours is breaching anyone's copyright, but going into the key colour information probably is.  British Standards are, curiously, open but still proprietary standards - contradictory though that sounds.  Point to note: for anything published before 1963, the copyright was only 50 years.  It was extended to 75 years but only backdated to1963. 

 

There is a potted history of the BS381 editions here: https://creativeawards.co.uk/blogs/news/british-standard-colour.  I'm sure you know that there was another standard for military colours introduced in 1942 and revised in 1944, BS987C.  These colours do not correlate directly to BS381 colours.

 

The subject has also come up on this site at least once before, here: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234987340-how-green-was-my-interior-or-was-it-grey-plus-info-on-bs381/

[Nobby Clarke]

There were 12 new colours introduced between the 1964 and 1996 editions, 5 in 1980 and 7 in 1988. I listed them below. Can somebody tell me which were introduced in each edition?

115 Cobalt blue

172 Pale Roundel blue

262 Bold green

285 NATO green

363 Bold yellow

389 Camouflage beige

454 Pale roundel red

542 Ruby

564 Bold red

626 Camouflage grey (Barley grey)

676 Light weatherwork grey

677 Dark weatherwork grey 

 

I have amended my original post with the answer to my question (above) for anybody who is interested.

The 1980 edition added:

115 Cobalt blue

285 NATO green

542 Ruby

676 Light weatherwork grey

677 Dark weatherwork grey 

 

and the 1988 edition added:

172 Pale Roundel blue

262 Bold green

363 Bold yellow

389 Camouflage beige

454 Pale roundel red

564 Bold red

626 Camouflage grey (Barley grey)

 

Edited November 22, 2020 by Nobby Clarke
Question answered

[Nigel Bunker]

Hello Nobby

 

Have you considered asking BSI directly. The link to their 'Contact Us' page is here.

[Nobby Clarke]

I'll give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Nobby Clarke]

Progress is being made, albeit slowly. 

I am looking for help to fill in my knowledge of what changed in BS 381C Amendment no. 4 released on 7 June 1956. The previous amendment was no. 3 in September 1949 when there were 97 colours, and the subsequent change was the release of the 1964 edition with 93 colours. It appears that there were significant additions and deletions between 1949 and 1964.