The rapid progress in sensor and biosensor array technologies needs a general strategy in the design of fluorescence reporters. Such reporters should provide a high density of sensor elements, allow analysis of targets of different affinities, and be internally calibrated, reproducible and have a rapid readout. Several criteria are introduced here for the comparative evaluation of fluorescence-sensing techniques. It is shown that only the two-band wavelength ratiometric sensing with a single reporter dye exhibiting rapid reversible excited-state reaction can satisfy all these criteria and is a prospective candidate for further development.