Fluorophore vendor resources: curated guide by manufacturer
Every major flow cytometry reagent vendor publishes dye-specific guides, spectrum viewers, and lot-specific COA data, but they're scattered across product pages that change URLs. This page curates the key resources by vendor and keeps them in one place.
How to use this page
BD Biosciences
BD's Brilliant Stain portfolio is one of the largest in flow cytometry, covering violet, UV, blue, and red laser lines. Their spectrum viewer and the Brilliant Stain Buffer requirement (essential for panels with multiple BV dyes) are critical references.
BD Spectrum Viewer
SpectraConfigure your instrument's laser/filter setup and simulate spillover for any BD panel.
Brilliant Stain Buffer
GuideRequired when using 3 or more BD Brilliant dyes in the same panel to prevent dye-dye interactions.
Brilliant Stain Buffer Plus
GuideMore concentrated formulation that uses a lower volume per test. Same application as Brilliant Stain Buffer.
BioLegend
BioLegend's Spark and Fire portfolios are designed as cross-laser-compatible polymer dyes with high brightness. Their Spectra Analyzer tool includes all Fire and Spark variants and is vendor-neutral enough to be useful for full panel planning.
BioLegend Flow Cytometry Tools
SpectraMulti-vendor spectra viewer with instrument configuration. Includes Fire, Spark, and classic dye families.
Spark dye overview and selection
GuideOverview of Spark Blue, Yellow-Green, Red, and UV families with brightness comparison data.
Fluorophore families overview
GuideOverview of BioLegend fluorophore families including Fire-series tandems, emission spectra, and use cases.
Cytek Biosciences
Cytek's cFluor dyes are optimized for their Aurora and Northern Lights full-spectrum instruments, though many work on conventional cytometers too. The naming convention encodes both laser (YG, B, V, R) and emission peak in the same name.
cFluor dye series overview
GuidecFluor portfolio by laser line with brightness data and recommended panel positions.
Documentation center
GuideApplication notes, data sheets, and panel design resources across all Cytek instruments.
SpectroLearn
GuideTechnical learning hub covering full spectrum flow cytometry, unmixing, and panel optimization.
Bio-Rad
Bio-Rad's StarBright dyes are polymer-based high-brightness reagents designed with the laser color encoded in the name (StarBright Blue, Violet, Red, YG) and the emission peak as the number. They are primarily used on Bio-Rad's ZE5 cytometer but compatible with other platforms.
Miltenyi Biotec
Miltenyi's REAfinity and VioDye portfolios are designed for their MACSQuant instruments but work broadly on conventional cytometers. Vio dyes encode the laser in the color name (VioBlue = violet, VioBright = blue) and the emission in the number.
VioDyes overview and selection guide
GuideComplete Vio dye portfolio with emission spectra, recommended channels, and panel placement tips.
Miltenyi COA / lot-specific data
ToolCertificate of analysis lookup by product number and lot for Miltenyi reagents.
MACSQuant panel planning
GuideInstrument-specific panel design guidance for MACSQuant Analyzer series.
Invitrogen / Thermo Fisher
Invitrogen (part of Thermo Fisher) originated the Alexa Fluor series and Pacific dyes, and continues the eBioscience eFluor and SuperBright lines. Alexa Fluors follow excitation-number convention, the most important difference from BV and SuperBright.
Alexa Fluor dye selection guide
GuideFull Alexa Fluor portfolio by excitation wavelength, with brightness and photostability comparisons.
SuperBright dye overview
GuideSuperBright polymer dyes for violet (405 nm) laser panels. Important: the number is emission peak, not excitation.
eFluor dye guide
GuideeBioscience eFluor series covering violet, blue, and tandem dyes. Includes eFluor 450, 660, 710, 780.
Proteintech
Proteintech's CoraLite Plus series are designed as direct drop-in substitutes for Alexa Fluors, following the same excitation-number convention. CLP647 is equivalent to AF647 and uses the same compensation settings.
Beckman Coulter
Beckman Coulter's SuperNova and Krome Orange dyes are primarily optimized for their CytoFLEX instruments. Krome Orange (~528 nm, violet 405 nm) fills a unique spectral position not well covered by other brands.
SuperNova dye series
GuideSuperNova violet-excited dyes with brightness data and CytoFLEX panel optimization guidance.
Krome Orange overview
GuideKrome Orange unique emission profile (~528 nm from violet laser); useful when BV510 and VioGreen are occupied.
CytoFLEX panel design guide
GuideInstrument-specific panel design resources and application notes for CytoFLEX systems.
Lot-specific COA & QC data lookup
Certificate of Analysis (COA) documents contain QC data specific to your lot number, including binding performance, purity, and sometimes spectral data. Always check the COA before a new lot enters your study, especially for tandem conjugates where lot-to-lot variation is material.
BioLegend
Enter catalog number + lot number for downloadable COA with QC data and spectral performance.
Miltenyi Biotec
COA lookup for all Miltenyi products including VioDyes, REAfinity, and MACSQuant reagents.
Cytek Biosciences
Lot-specific COA for cFluor dyes and Cytek-branded reagents.
BD Biosciences
Certificate of Analysis for BD Horizon, Brilliant, and OptiBuild reagents.
Invitrogen / Thermo Fisher
COA for Alexa Fluor, SuperBright, eFluor, and related Thermo Fisher products.
Spectrum viewers: multi-vendor tools
These tools are vendor-neutral or broad enough to use for full panel planning regardless of which brands you purchase from. Cytek Cloud is the most comprehensive for multi-vendor panels; BioLegend Spectra Analyzer also covers polymer dyes well.
Cytek Cloud Full Spectrum Viewer
Multi-vendor spectrum viewer covering cFluor, BV, Alexa Fluor, PE/Fire, Spark, and more. Includes a Complexity Index and panel builder. Free account required.
cloud.cytekbio.com
Fluorofinder
Multi-vendor panel builder with spectral overlap simulation. Supports all major brands and instruments.
fluorofinder.com
BD Spectrum Viewer
Configure your laser/filter setup and visualize spillover for BD-focused panels.
www.bdbiosciences.com/en-us/resources/bd-spectrum-viewer
BioLegend Flow Cytometry Tools
Vendor-neutral enough for broad use; includes Spark, Fire, and classic dye families from multiple vendors.
www.biolegend.com/en-us/flow-cytometry-tools
Tips for evaluating vendor documentation
COA QC metrics ≠ spectral performance
Most vendor COAs report binding specificity; find independent emission spectra separately and don't assume a passing QC means good spectrum behavior.
Poster emission peaks are approximate
Vendor fluorochrome posters list nominal peaks, often rounded to 5–10 nm. Actual emission spectra are broader and may shift by a few nm across lots. Use the spectrum viewer, not the poster, for filter overlap decisions.
Brightness rankings are instrument-dependent
A dye ranked "brightest in class" on one laser/filter configuration may rank lower on your specific instrument. Always validate brightness with a titration on your own cytometer.
Technical guides often assume their own instruments
BD guides assume BD instruments; Cytek guides assume spectral cytometers. Adapt accordingly; a recommended filter from a vendor guide may not exist on your platform.
References
- [1]Maecker HT, Frey T, Nomura LE, Trotter J. Selecting fluorochrome conjugates for maximum sensitivity. Cytometry A. 2004;62(2):169–73.
- [2]Chattopadhyay PK, et al. A live-cell assay to detect antigen-specific CD4+ T cells with diverse cytokine profiles. Nat Med. 2005;11(10):1113–7.
- [3]Perfetto SP, Chattopadhyay PK, Roederer M. Seventeen-colour flow cytometry: unravelling the immune system. Nat Rev Immunol. 2004;4(8):648–55.