Abstract Preparative chromatography is today the best generic method for the purification of small drugs and valuable chemical components at the <10 kg-level. Recent progress in computer technology and the development of new nonchiral and chiral stationary phases, as well as numerous improvements in reliability and economic performance, have considerably increased the interest in modeling in academic and industrial communities. This chapter serves as an introduction to the field of modeling preparative liquid chromatography in the classical batch mode, aiming at improved process purification of valuable chemical components, drugs, and chiral components. We go through the most important column and adsorption models and methods for determination of the essential thermodynamic adsorption data for both column characterization and process improvement. But, we also cover important operational conditions sometimes neglected in the modeling procedure, such as the impact of injection profiles and accounting for the additive in the modeling procedure.