TR-3, Guidelines for Minimizing Water Staining of Aluminum (Fourth Edition, January 2004), explains how water staining occurs on aluminum sheet and plate and what can be done to prevent it. The guidelines describe the conditions that promote staining during manufacture, storage and shipment, then recommend practices for drainage, drying, stacking and interleaving, packaging and protection, and for handling material that has become wet in transit or on site. Prepared with the support of the Technology Committee of the Association's Sheet and Plate Division, the document is used by rolling mills, distributors and fabricators to set handling procedures that preserve surface appearance and avoid claims on stained material.