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• Cellulosic non-woven fabrics were prepared from ionic liquid solutions. • Suitable molecular weights of cellulose contributed to forming ultrafine fibers. • Fiber diameter was reduced and strength was improved as air velocity increased. • Ultrafine cellulose fibers with a high strength of ca. 940 MPa were obtained. A wet-type solution blow spinning system equipped with a single concentric nozzle was assembled to investigate the key factors for preparing ultrafine regenerated cellulose fibers. The effects of the degree of polymerization (DP) of cellulose and the velocity of blown air on fiber morphology were studied by rheological analyses and scanning electron microscopy. The results demonstrated that cellulose with a DP of 2365, together with a high air velocity, could aid the formation of continuous ultrafine fibers. Fluid filament deformation was observed using a high-speed camera and clearly correlated with the final fiber morphology. Additionally, aligned ultrafine fibers were spun on a rotational collector and their mechanical properties and structural parameters were characterized. Ultrafine cellulose fibers with a high strength of 941.4 MPa and a high crystallite orientation of 0.909 were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]