A novel column characterization test mixture is developed for use in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC). This mixture has been named the "Phillips mix" in honor of the late professor John B. Phillips, the father of GC x GC. The mixture comprises a series of homologous compounds from structural groups that cover a volatility and polarity range that is similar to the Grob mix, and includes saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes), unsaturated hydrocarbons (alkenes and alkynes), carbonyls (ketones and aldehydes), primary alcohols, fatty acid methyl esters, alkyl ethers, carboxylic acids, aromatics, as well as other unique functional groups (such as amines, etc.). Similarly to the Grob mix in conventional one-dimensional GC, the Phillips mix can be used as a standardized test for performance characterization of GC x GC column sets. Unlike the Grob mix, however, the Phillips mix's most important use is as a practical guideline for column users. This paper addresses some qualitative aspects of the use of the Phillips mix through an investigation of the chromatographic fingerprints of two different GC x GC column combinations.