The work aims to briefly introduce, classify and summarize the luminescent principle and synthesis methods of rare-earth materials, and illustrate its important research value and application prospects in printing and packaging anti-counterfeiting. The synthesis methods of rare-earth doped luminescent materials, such as high temperature solid state method, coprecipitation method, combustion method and sol-gel method were introduced. The research progress of luminescent materials synthesized by different methods in printing and packaging anti-counterfeiting was described. Rare-earth luminescent materials have a wide application prospect in modern functional and intelligent printing and packaging. Combined with anti-counterfeiting technologies such as bank notes, stamps and bar codes, they have a wide application value and industrialization prospect.