CaGdAlO4 : Eu^3+ powder phosphors were prepared using citrate sol-gel (CSG), haft-dry and half-wet (HDW) and solid state (SS) methods, respectively. X-ray diffraction results confirm the formation of CaGdAlO4:Eu^3+ at 900 % (CSG), 1200℃ (HDW) and 1400℃ (SS), respectively. Field emission scan electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images show that the CaGdAlO4:Eu^3+ powder prepared by the CSG and HDW method has an elliptical shape and that prepared under the SS method has a flaky shape. Upon excitation with 280 nm UV light, all the CaGdAlO4: Eu^3+ powders show bright red emission on account of the 4f-4f transitions of the Eu^3+ ions. Moreover, the size of the phosphor particles and the emission intensity increase with the increase of calcined temperature. At the same calcination temperature of 1400 ℃, the ^5D0→^7F2 emission intensity of the sample prepared by HDW method is the highest. Stark components of the ^5D0→^7FJ emission transitions, both at room temperature and at a low temperature, reveal that the Eu^3+ ions occupy only one site with non-centrosymmetry in the crystals.