By controlling the hydrolysis of titanium butoxide, followed with or without an ethanol washing process, the preparation of nanoscale titania powder was studied in detail. The characteristics of different powders produced by the direct precipitation (without an ethanol wash) and ethanol wash processes were studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, BET, thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis techniques. By comparison, it was found that both the direct precipitation and ethanol wash methods can obtain slightly agglomerated nanoscale titania powders of less than 15 nm, but the ethanol wash can further reduce the agglomeration. The particle sizes of titania powders can be modified while still retaining the anatase structure.