Solution (air-) blowing, an innovative technique for generation of ultrafine polymer fibers from solutions, was developed by feeding polymer solutions (instead of melts) to a die assembly similar to that used in the conventional melt (air-) blowing process. Micro- to nano-scaled polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) fibers were produced using PVP solutions with water, ethanol, and/or their mixtures as the solvents; and the morphologies of the fibers were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The processing variables, including PVP concentration, air-blowing pressure, solution-feeding pressure, and the volatility of the solvent system (the ratio of ethanol to water), were systematically investigated. The results indicated that solution (air-) blowing was a viable technique to produce nonwoven fabrics consisting of ultrafine polymer fibers with diameters ranging from micrometers to nanometers. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 114: 3479-3486, 2009