The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of canal preparation on the property of apical seal. Seventy canals from extracted human maxillary and mandibular teeth were randomly selected and divided into two groups: conventional group and step-back group. Thirty five canals in one group were enlarged with a, conventional preparation method and thirty five canals in the other group were instrumented in a step-back method with K-file. After instrumentation sixty canals were obturated by lateral condensation of gutta percha and zinc oxide eugenol cement, and five canals in each group were not filled and used as control. All the specimens were immersed in 2% methylene blue dye solution and the depth of dye penetration into the canals were observed by macroscope at the intervals of 1 day, 2 days, and 7 days. The following results were obtained. 1. All the canals experimented showed varying degrees of dye penetration. 2. There was no significant difference between conventional method and step-back method in the depth of dye penetration and the degree of dye penetration tended to increase with time passage in both groups. 3, In conventional preparation group the mean dye penetration was 3.6mm at 1 day, 4.8mm at 2 days. and 6.5mm at 7 days. 4. In step-back prepareation group, the specimens exposed to the dye for 1 day showed mean dye penetration of 4.1mm, and the specimens immersed in the dye for 2 days and 7 days revealed mean dye penetration of 4.6mm and 6.2mm respectively.