Abstract: Some ductile fracture criteria was applied to predict the forming limit of sheet matels. The numerical simulation for deformation processes with uniaxil tensile, plane strain, equi-biaxial strain and some other strain paths were carried out for HS steel, IF steel and 6111-T4 aluminum alloy sheets. Ductile fracture criteria was combined with the finite element simulation. The constants in the criteria were determined by using the calculated strain path and stress at the element with maximal major strain combined with the critical values of strain obtained in the tests. The effect of yield criteria Hill48,Hill90 and Barlat89 on strain path in numerical simulation was compared and evaluated with the measured strain path near the plane strain. Barlat89 can reasonably well predict the strain paths of three kinds of sheet matels. Further calculations were carried out for the forming limit with several ductile fracture criteria combined with Barlat89. It is shown that Cockcroft-Latham andthe total plastic work criteria give more reasonable prediction and the material constants in the criteria can be calculated easily.