The invention generates mass scale

The invention generates mass scale comparability betweenmass spectra which are acquired in time-of-flight mass spec-trometers, particularly with ionization by matrix-assistedlaser desorption. Always slightly distorted mass scales ofdifferent mass spectra from the same type of sample can bealigned. The flight times of identical ions always differslightly from one mass spectrum to the next due to non-reproducible processes in the ionization method. Thus theapparent mass values of ion signals of identical substances indifferent mass spectra do not match even if the flight times areconverted into mass values with the identical calibrationequation. After alignment of the mass scales, mass spectracan be reliably compared with respect to deviations in inten-sities of bio-makers, or be added together without deteriora-tion in the mass resolution, and improved reference spectrumlibraries can be created. Furthermore, the invention allowsmore reliable library searches to be carried out.