The present invention provides a color recipe calculation method for matt finished, solid color shades, by means of which it is possible to determine the proportion of matting agents in a color recipe in a manner decoupled from the actual calculation of the recipe and is based on a conventional spectrophotometric characterization of a matt sample using a standardised 45.degree./0.degree. measurement geometry along with an established gloss measurement, or alternatively using a spectrophotometer equipped with a d/8.degree. measurement geometry and analyzing readings taken with the specular component included and excluded.