A prosthetic heart valve system comprising: a heart valve of a labeled size including a stent on an inflow end, flexible commissures projecting from the stent in an outflow direction, and flexible leaflets distributed about a valve axis and supported between the flexible commissures; and a heart valve holder system having a stationary part in a first color attachable to the heart valve and having at least first and second movable parts that are movable with respect to the stationary part, wherein the stationary part comprises a holder attached to an inflow side of the valve, wherein the holder is sutured to a sewing ring on an inflow side of the valve, the heart valve holder system also comprising a post that is translatable along the valve axis with respect to the holder and passes through a central bore in the holder, wherein the first movable part comprises a proximal end of the post, wherein the proximal end of the post is an adapter sutured to the post, and wherein the second movable part comprises a flex handle configured to engage with the first movable part of the valve holder system; the heart valve holder system further including filaments that are attached to the holder and extend through the heart valve and cross over between tips of the flexible commissures, and wherein a distal end of the post contacts the filaments along the valve axis so as to push them in a distal direction and flex the tips of the flexible commissures inward, characterized in that the prosthetic heart valve system is color-coded, wherein the first and second moveable parts have a second color distinct from the first color of the stationary part, and the adapter has the second color, wherein the holder, the post, and the adapter each has a color that is in contrast to one another such that the holder is visually distinguishable from the post and the adapter, and the post is visually distinguishable from the adapter. a heart valve of a labeled size including a stent on an inflow end, flexible commissures projecting from the stent in an outflow direction, and flexible leaflets distributed about a valve axis and supported between the flexible commissures; and a heart valve holder system having a stationary part in a first color attachable to the heart valve and having at least first and second movable parts that are movable with respect to the stationary part, wherein the stationary part comprises a holder attached to an inflow side of the valve, wherein the holder is sutured to a sewing ring on an inflow side of the valve, the heart valve holder system also comprising a post that is translatable along the valve axis with respect to the holder and passes through a central bore in the holder, wherein the first movable part comprises a proximal end of the post, wherein the proximal end of the post is an adapter sutured to the post, and wherein the second movable part comprises a flex handle configured to engage with the first movable part of the valve holder system; the heart valve holder system further including filaments that are attached to the holder and extend through the heart valve and cross over between tips of the flexible commissures, and wherein a distal end of the post contacts the filaments along the valve axis so as to push them in a distal direction and flex the tips of the flexible commissures inward, characterized in that the prosthetic heart valve system is color-coded, wherein the first and second moveable parts have a second color distinct from the first color of the stationary part, and the adapter has the second color, wherein the holder, the post, and the adapter each has a color that is in contrast to one another such that the holder is visually distinguishable from the post and the adapter, and the post is visually distinguishable from the adapter.