The discovery of graphene, a single layer of covalently bonded carbon atoms, has attracted intense interest. Initial studies using mechanically exfoliated graphene unveiled its remarkable electronic, mechanical and thermal properties. There has been a growing need and rapid development in large-area deposition of graphene film and its applications. Chemical vapor deposition on copper has emerged as one of the most promising methods in obtaining large-scale graphene films with quality comparable to exfoliated graphene. In this paper, we review the synthesis and characterizations of graphene grown on copper foil substrates by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition. We also discuss potential applications of such large-scale synthetic graphene. © 2013 World Scientific Publishing Company.