Permanent Markers

Why is isopropyl alcohol used rather than water when separating the inks in permanent markers?

I'm working on a chromatography lab in Chemistry, and I can't find the answer for this question. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Public Comments

1. Clearly, permanent marker ink is not water-soluble. That's why it's "permanent". But the ink is soluble in an organic solvent, in this case alcohol.