A method of packing a media bed of a chromatography column through which a fluid is flowed, said column having an adjuster and means for determining the position of said adjuster within said column, said method comprising: (i) inputting in a column packing system the media type, the adjuster velocity and the terminal column height via menus or keypad entries, (ii) performing a constant velocity packing process of a column with the supplied desired adjuster velocity, (iii) completing the packing process when the column height matches the terminal column height introduced in the system, wherein the optimal column height introduced in the system is determined empirically by packing several columns using a constant velocity or constant pressure algorithm; wherein the constant velocity algorithm comprises: actuating said adjuster at a constant velocity to compress said media bed; determining column inlet force exerted by the fluid at an inlet by means of a pressure sensor placed at said inlet; determining total force, which is the sum of said column inlet force and media compression force, by means of a load cell; and continuing movement of said adjuster while the ratio of said column inlet force to said total force is greater than a predetermined level and ceasing movement of said adjuster when said ratio drops below said predetermined level, wherein said predetermined level is a desired ratio of said column inlet force to said total force and is a function of the media type; and wherein the constant pressure algorithm comprises: actuating said adjuster at an increasing velocity until the hydraulic pressure reaches a predetermined level; decreasing the velocity of said adjuster to maintain said hydraulic pressure at said predetermined level; reaching a steady state where the velocity and hydraulic pressure remain constant; storing velocity at said steady state value; increasing the velocity of said adjuster to maintain said hydraulic pressure at said predetermined level after reaching said steady state value; comparing current velocity to said stored velocity; and continuing to increase the velocity of said adjuster to maintain said hydraulic pressure if said current velocity is not greater than said stored velocity by a predetermined amount and ceasing movement of said adjuster when said current velocity is greater than said stored velocity by said predetermined amount. (i) inputting in a column packing system the media type, the adjuster velocity and the terminal column height via menus or keypad entries, (ii) performing a constant velocity packing process of a column with the supplied desired adjuster velocity, (iii) completing the packing process when the column height matches the terminal column height introduced in the system, actuating said adjuster at a constant velocity to compress said media bed; determining column inlet force exerted by the fluid at an inlet by means of a pressure sensor placed at said inlet; determining total force, which is the sum of said column inlet force and media compression force, by means of a load cell; and continuing movement of said adjuster while the ratio of said column inlet force to said total force is greater than a predetermined level and ceasing movement of said adjuster when said ratio drops below said predetermined level, wherein said predetermined level is a desired ratio of said column inlet force to said total force and is a function of the media type; and wherein the constant pressure algorithm comprises: actuating said adjuster at an increasing velocity until the hydraulic pressure reaches a predetermined level; decreasing the velocity of said adjuster to maintain said hydraulic pressure at said predetermined level; reaching a steady state where the velocity and hydraulic pressure remain constant; storing velocity at said steady state value; increasing the velocity of said adjuster to maintain said hydraulic pressure at said predetermined level after reaching said steady state value; comparing current velocity to said stored velocity; and continuing to increase the velocity of said adjuster to maintain said hydraulic pressure if said current velocity is not greater than said stored velocity by a predetermined amount and ceasing movement of said adjuster when said current velocity is greater than said stored velocity by said predetermined amount. actuating said adjuster at an increasing velocity until the hydraulic pressure reaches a predetermined level; decreasing the velocity of said adjuster to maintain said hydraulic pressure at said predetermined level; reaching a steady state where the velocity and hydraulic pressure remain constant; storing velocity at said steady state value; increasing the velocity of said adjuster to maintain said hydraulic pressure at said predetermined level after reaching said steady state value; comparing current velocity to said stored velocity; and continuing to increase the velocity of said adjuster to maintain said hydraulic pressure if said current velocity is not greater than said stored velocity by a predetermined amount and ceasing movement of said adjuster when said current velocity is greater than said stored velocity by said predetermined amount.