The invention provides a method for selecting a color for a chemistry or instrument based upon a parameter of a test, the method including: identifying a color corresponding to a parameter of a test for the parameter; selecting, if the color corresponding to the parameter has not previously been used for another parameter, the color for designating a chemistry or an instrument as corresponding to the parameter; selecting, if the color corresponding to the parameter has previously been used for another parameter, a different color other than the color for designating a chemistry or an instrument as corresponding to the parameter, wherein the selecting a color other than the color comprises identifying a color having a measure of change in visual perception of the different color against other previously selected colors a predetermined value from the other previously selected colors; and utilizing the selected colors for parameters across both chemistries (102, 104, 105) and instruments (101, 103) that are utilized in tests for the parameters.