1) Draw a pencil line near the bottom of a sheet of filter paper ; 2) Add a spot of ink to the line & place the sheet in a beaker of solvent e.g. water - the solvent used depends on what's being tested - some compounds dissolve well in water, but sometimes other solvents e.g. ethanol are needed ; 3) Ensure the ink isn't touching the solvent - you don't want it to dissolve ; 4) Place a lid on top of the container to stop the solvent evaporating ; 5) The solvent seeps up the paper, carrying the ink with it ; 6) Each different dye in the ink will move up the paper at a different rate so that the dyes will separate out - each dye will form a spot in a different place, 1 spot per dye in the ink ; 7) If any of the dyes in the ink are insoluble in the solvent used, they'll stay on the baseline ; 8) When the solvent has nearly reached the top of the paper, take the paper out of the beaker & leave it to dry