The work aims to introduce the properties of flexible photonic crystal, expound its mainstream preparation methods and summarize its applications in packaging and printing in recent years. The mainstream preparation methods of flexible photonic crystal material were described, including colloidal particle self-assembly method and nanoimprint lithography. Furthermore, according to the structural color tunability of photonic crystal material, the main applications and research values of flexible photonic crystal material in packaging printing field were introduced. At present, flexible photonic crystal for packaging and printing is mainly used in advanced textile, anti-counterfeiting, athletic monitoring and health-caring. Flexible photonic crystal presents significant potential in green packaging & printing field, so its application in daily life can be further studied and broaden to promote the green development of packaging and printing industry.