Understanding the MIL STD 130

MIL STD 130 ensures the accurate identification of all items that do or might pass through the hands of the Department of Defense. Since that encompasses everything from toothbrushes to tanks to TVs, these specifications are lengthy and complex.
Additionally, MIL STD 130 attempts to aid in the design of governmental contracts by helping to estimate the minimum need. Unfortunately, MIL STD 130 encompasses a host of secondary systems for identifying and marking equipment and parts, but whenever MIL STD 130 and some other system disagree, MIL STD 130 takes precedence.
Some key terms appear repeatedly in the definition of MIL STD 130, most notably IUID. IUID stands for Item Unique Identification. This simply means the MIL STD 130 marking, or whatever set of numbers used to mark an item which distinguish it from some other item, even if the two items are otherwise identical. MRI, machine readable information, usually refers to a bar code, which is often included in a good IUID.
MIL STD 130 demands that information be written on a metal or plastic tag, plate, band or label. The font size cannot be smaller than 5.76 points in a sans serif font like Arial. Numbers should be in Arabic. If, at that size, there still isn't room for proper IUID, partial information or relocation of the information may be acceptable.
MIL STD 130 also has specifics for every major system of marking equipment or merchandise. For simplicity's sake, marketable merchandise with logos, lot numbers, and other identifying marks generally don't need more identifying, according to MIL STD 130. MIL STD 130 has regulations for marking systems such as ATA, AIAG, CEA, etc. Since it has to be perfect or they will send it back, consider getting help from the professionals at ID-Integration when tangling with the MIL STD 130.