Analüütilise kromatograafia puhul on eesmärgiks aine olemasolu ja hulga määramine segus. Statsionaarne faas võib olla paber (paberkromatograafia) või õhuke poorse aine kiht metall- või klaasplaadil (õhukese kihi kromatograafia), täidisena kolonnis (kolonnkromatograafia) või kantud peene toru siseseintele (kapillaarkromatograafia).
The stationary phase is a thin layer of an absorbing solid (e.g. alumina) prepared by spreading a slurry of the solid on a plate (usually glass) and drying it in an oven. A spot of the mixture to be analysed is placed near one edge and the plate is stood upright in a solvent. The solvent rises through the layer by capillary action carrying the components up the plate at different rates (depending on the extent to which they are absorbed by the solid). After a given time, the plate is dried and the location of spots noted. It is possible to identify constituents of the mixture by the distance moved in a given time. The technique needs careful control of the thickness of the layer and of the temperature.
