A data processing device for determining a color formulation and for controlling the quality of the produced color formulation which, after the application by a specified application process to a specified substrate, results in a color product having a specified hue, the data processing device comprising means for performing a method for determining a color formulation and for controlling the quality of the produced color formulation, which, after the application by a specified application process to a specified substrate, results in a color product having a specified hue, the method comprising: a) providing a database in which a plurality of data sets is stored, wherein each of the data sets respectively comprises at least information on a color formulation, on a substrate, on an application process and on the hue of the color product resulting after the application of the color formulation by the application process to the substrate, b) recording the input by a user of a specified target application process, a specified target substrate and a specified target hue, as well as a specified desired target hue resulting after the application of a color formulation by the specified target application process to the specified target substrate for the color product obtained, c) searching the database by means of a computer program as to whether it contains at least one data set whose color formulation, after the application by the target application process specified in step b) to the target substrate specified in step b), results in a color product with a hue that corresponds to the target hue specified in step b) or deviates from it by a maximum of a specified tolerance, and d) displaying, if at least one suitable data set is found in step c), the information on the color formulation stored in the at least one data set, wherein at least 50% of the data sets also comprise information on at least one reference hue, a reference application process, and a reference substrate, wherein the reference hue is obtained when the color formulation is applied to the reference substrate by the reference application process, wherein the reference application process is different from the application process of the data set and/or the reference is different from the substrate of the data set, wherein: i) the reference substrate is a standardized paper specified in the DIN ISO 2846-1: 2017 standard, wherein the data processing device compares the recorded hue signal of the reference color product produced by applying the produced color formulation to the standardized paper by the reference application process with the reference hue of the data set, or ii) at least 40% of the data sets also comprise information on the spectral curve of the surface of a first production color product obtained by coating a portion of a first production batch of the color formulation indicated in step d) onto a white coating paper and recording a spectral curve between 400 and 700 nm of the surface thereof with a spectrophotometer, wherein the data processing device compares the spectral curve recorded from the surface between 400 and 700 nm of the color product thus obtained after coating the produced color formulation onto the same coating paper with the spectral curve stored in the data set. a) providing a database in which a plurality of data sets is stored, wherein each of the data sets respectively comprises at least information on a color formulation, on a substrate, on an application process and on the hue of the color product resulting after the application of the color formulation by the application process to the substrate, b) recording the input by a user of a specified target application process, a specified target substrate and a specified target hue, as well as a specified desired target hue resulting after the application of a color formulation by the specified target application process to the specified target substrate for the color product obtained, c) searching the database by means of a computer program as to whether it contains at least one data set whose color formulation, after the application by the target application process specified in step b) to the target substrate specified in step b), results in a color product with a hue that corresponds to the target hue specified in step b) or deviates from it by a maximum of a specified tolerance, and d) displaying, if at least one suitable data set is found in step c), the information on the color formulation stored in the at least one data set, i) the reference substrate is a standardized paper specified in the DIN ISO 2846-1: 2017 standard, wherein the data processing device compares the recorded hue signal of the reference color product produced by applying the produced color formulation to the standardized paper by the reference application process with the reference hue of the data set, or ii) at least 40% of the data sets also comprise information on the spectral curve of the surface of a first production color product obtained by coating a portion of a first production batch of the color formulation indicated in step d) onto a white coating paper and recording a spectral curve between 400 and 700 nm of the surface thereof with a spectrophotometer, wherein the data processing device compares the spectral curve recorded from the surface between 400 and 700 nm of the color product thus obtained after coating the produced color formulation onto the same coating paper with the spectral curve stored in the data set.