Fluorescence Reference Standards are labeled with specific fluorochromes so that they give rise to the same fluorescence spectra as cells labeled with the same fluorochromes. Fluorescence intensity is similar to biological samples.

A test requires one drop (50μl) of particle suspension, which is equivalent to ~100,000 particles. Bangs Flow Cytometry Standards are 7-9μm in diameter (unless otherwise noted) to approximate the size of human lymphocytes.