The invention provides a system and method for selecting an optimal multimarker reagent combination for the identification and/or quantification of molecules in or on cells with or without reference to fluorescence or other properties of at least one fluorescent dye or other instrument-measurable atom or molecule associated directly or indirectly with the reagent combination. The method includes specifying, using a computer, a plurality of markers to be detected by a plurality of reagents, generating, using a computer, a plurality of reagent combinations comprising the plurality of reagents to detect the plurality of markers, wherein the reagent combinations are ranked according to at least one user-defined or system-defined criterion, and selecting the optimal reagent combination or providing a rank-ordered list of combinations.