Sample preparation as practiced today in analytical laboratories is a complex combination of classical and modern techniques. In this review, the progress made in the last few years in sample preparation for chromatography is examined and discussed in comparison with previous achievements in the field. Discovery and development of new materials is seen as one of the main sources of progress, but finding better ways of using the old principles and the improvements in technology are also major contributing factors for advancement. Practical demands for analysis of pharmaceutical products, the environmental studies, and life science are the main driving forces for development in sample preparation for chromatography.