Abstract: A simulated tobacco cutting method based on strip image was developed by incorporating digital image processing technology, and a simulated cut strip length index was introduced. The influence of the rotational interval of strip image on the results of simulated cutting was investigated, and the accuracy of the developed method was verified by paper cutting experiments. The relationships between simulated cut tobacco length and strip's shapes were analyzed, the differences of the simulated cut tobacco length between strips of different sizes were clarified, and the application of the tobacco cutting method to the characterization of the tobacco strip structure was studied. The results showed that: 1)When the strip image was rotated with an interval of 30°, the deviation of the simulated cut tobacco length relative to 1° was 2.84%, and the calculation time reduced by 96.70%. 2) The Pearson correlation of the cut paper length distribution between the simulated cutting and the actual paper cutting was 0.949 3, and the detection deviation of the average length was 6.95%. 3)The simulated cut tobacco length was multivariately non-linearly correlated to the area and length of tobacco strip with a correlation coefficient of 0.950 6. 4)The average lengths of simulated cutting produced from medium and small size strips, scraps and dust showed an approximately 2-fold gradient decreasing trend. 5) The classification limits of the lengths of the simulated cut tobacco produced from large and medium strips, medium and small strips, and small strips, scrap and dust were 22.23, 11.80 and 5.39 mm, respectively. There was no significant difference in the detection results of the tobacco strip structure between the developed method and the sieving method, with the correlation coefficient of 0.998 2, indicating a strong correlation. This method provides support for predicting the cut length of strips.