For Architectural applications, SAF recommends specifying AAMA 611-98. For other applications, the Aluminum Association has developed a system of designation for aluminum finishes to assure that your suppliers can identify and furnish the finish you specify. Specific finishes of the various types are designated by a letter followed by a two-digit numeral. Each designation may be combined into a single composite designation to identify a sequence of operations covering all of the improtant steps leading to a final complex finish.
All designations are appropriate for non-architectural applications as well.