We have Fabtrol. In Fabtrol, there is a list called "Assemblies Left to Load". Our trailer loaders and our paint department get copies. This is a list of every shipping mark and quantity either on a job, or on a batch of drawings. This sheet has the type of surface preparation, the type of paint, unless noted, dry film thickness, and the ship date. If there are marks that receive no paint, we indicate no paint items with an *. If there are marks to be galvanized, we indicate those with another identifying mark on the sheets. The paint guys always know what they need to do just by looking at these sheets.
Years ago, everything was done by hand. I used to work in the shop office, and one of my duties was, as we received shop drawings, to make shipping lists for each job. This list was pretty much the same as the Fabtrol list. In the title block, I filled in the job number, name of the job, job location, surface preparation, type of paint, dry film thickness, and ship date. I then made a list of all quantities and shipping marks on the job. If there were any shipping marks that were to receive no paint, I put a red asterisk beside that mark on the list. If there were pieces to be galvanized, I put a red triangle beside that mark on the list. This is a very efficient way to transfer information to the paint shop. Before the first beam hits the fabrication departments, the paint shop already has a list and knows exactly what they have to paint. The list also serves as a way to keep up with the status of a painted job, because the guys circle items off as they're finished. You need to have whoever makes up your cutting lists to make up a shipping list for each job, with all the pertinent information that I have just described. I still have a copy of my old shipping list. If you'd like me to fax it to you, please post your fax number.

Here is how we handle painted/no-paint/galvanized materials. We work everything by a shop order, thus all painted materials are on one shop order, non-painted items are on another shop order and galvanized on yet another shop order.
Painted shop orders still require the fitters to mark around all slip critical bolts "no paint within 3"(NP3"o's) of open holes", and they also have to note "No Paint at Top flange"(NPTF) if there are studs to be shot in the field on composite beams.
John Wright

Depending on the size of the job, we may mark the back of our piecemark tags with "paint" or "galv" or whatever. On larger jobs, we use surveyor's tape to color code where pieces will be stored. This is done just prior to the piece leaving the fabrication area.

Chet Guuilford