Abstract: To meet special requirements and respond to control problems of surface micromorphology of different strips in skin rolling process, a rolling transfer generation model of the surface micromorphology contact between work roll and actual rough surface of strip was established on the basis of batch tracing the surface micromorphology of electric discharge textured roll, grinding roll and cold rolled strip. The inheritance and evolution of surface micromorphology of the strip was analyzed based on the generation model and the accuracy of the generation model was verified by industrial experiments. The concepts of negative transfer and transfer saturation were proposed, and the descriptive indicators for two extreme rolling transfer status (the maximum negative transfer and transfer saturation) were defined. When strip surface roughness is equal to or less than that of roll, a maximum negative transfer point and transfer saturation point exist, while when strip surface roughness is greater than that of roll, the maximum negative transfer point is in superposition with the transfer saturation point. Under the above precondition, through the rolling force of critical strip width, which corresponds to the maximum negative transfer point and transfer saturation point, the inheritance and evolution of surface micromorphology of the strip were characterized. The effect of strip yield strength, strip surface roughness, and roll surface roughness on the rolling force of critical strip width corresponding to maximum negative transfer point and transfer saturation point were also analyzed. Results show that with the increase of strip yield strength and roll surface roughness, the rolling force of critical strip width corresponding to maximum negative transfer point and transfer saturation point increases. With the increase of strip surface roughness, the rolling force of critical strip width corresponding to maximum negative transfer point increases, and the rolling force of critical strip width corresponding to transfer saturation point decreases.