Single crystal growth of ethyl p-amino benzoate (EPAB), a good nonlinear optical material, from the melt using nanoresolution translation by the Bridgman technique is reported. The unit cell dimensions were determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectral studies have been performed to identify the functional groups. Using differential thermal analysis (DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique, EPAB has been studied. The melting point and solidification temperature of EPAB were determined. The EPAB crystal was characterized by UV-vis-NIR spectra. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the specimen were also studied. The second harmonic generation efficiency of EPAB was determined using the Kurtz powder technique. The high SHG is due to one dimensional charge transfer between amino and ester group. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.