SnSe crystal is a new type of lowcost and environmentfriendly thermoelectric semiconductor material, which has become a hot spot around the world in recent years. In order to obtain SnSe crystal, vertical Bridgman method and vertical gradient frozen method are the two main techniques that are usually used at home and abroad. However, the unique layered structure and complex thermal expansion characteristics of SnSe crystal make it easy to cleave and crack in the process of crystal growth, therefore, the preparation of large size SnSe crystal has become a big matter up to today. In order to solve this problem, many novel crystal growth techniques were developed in our group under the guidance of phase diagram of material system and thermogravimetric analysis, such as gas phase method, horizontal Bridgman method and horizontal encapsulate method. Finally, large size SnSe single crystals were all successfully obtained by each method. In this paper, the process principle, technical points, crystal growth results of these technique innovations are introduced in detail, and their advantages and disadvantages are compared. It is considered that the horizontal encapsulate method has significant advantages for obtaining high integrity SnSe crystal and properties adjustment, and will gradually become a popular approach in the future.