Color bar original for image reproduction was designed and printed respectively after GCR and UCR color separation. The reproduction feature of different color separation methods was analyzed from density, saturation and neutral grey. The applicability of different type black plates was compared on tone, color and gray balance. The result showed that GCR is more suitable for processing dark tone image, and is favorable to gray balance of image, but likely to lose density and saturation of color; UCR is conducive to the reproduction of density and saturation, but likely to lose contrast and gray balance of image.