The relationship between colloidal particle transfer and quality of colloidal photonic crystal (CPC) is investigated by comparing colloidal particle self-assembling under the vertical channel (VC) and horizontal channel (HC) conditions. Both the theoretical analyses and the experimental measurements indicate that crystal quality depends on the stability of mass transfer. For the VC, colloidal particle transfer takes place in a stable laminar flow, which is conducive to forming high-quality crystal. In contrast, it happens in an unstable turbulent flow for the HC. Crystals with cracks and uneven surface formed under the HC condition can be seen from the images of field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) and three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning microscope (LSM), respectively.