The detection of N-acetylamino sugars on paper chromatograms has been made more sensitive by the use of an ethanol-borate spray, followed by steaming and spraying with a modified DMAB spray. As little as 1 μg of N-acetylglucosamine can be detected on paper. By extracting the coloured complexes from the paper, the method can be adapted for quantitative studies. The method was applied to the detection of acetylamino sugar compounds in partial acid hydrolysates and lysozyme digests of bacterial cell walls.