The origins of genuine paper began in South East Asia. Similar to the Egyptians, the Chinese had, nearly five thousand years ago, invented a style of writing that used pictures. They also had been utilizing many different types of things to write on, usually strips of bamboo and silk woven into a fine fabric and it is possible that the barkcloth they used for other uses derived from the Paper. Mulberry was ased too.
Historical documentation leads us to believe that in 105 years after the birth of Christ a government worker by the name of Tsai Lung, developed paper, though it is almost certain from archaeological finds that it was in fact in existence in what is now the People's Republic of China for probably two hundred years before him.
Back in ancient times gone by scribing was usually done on bamboo or on lengths of silk, which were called Ji in those days. But the soaring cost of silk and bamboo being very heavy, these two materials were not convenient. Around then Tsai Lun came up with the idea of making use of tree bark, fish nets, hemp, and rags. In 105AD he put an idea to the emperor with regard to the process of making paper and was endowed with much praise for his thoughts. From this time paper has been used in almost every place on earth and is called the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If this particular claim is accurate or not, will very likely not ever be known! However, what is important has to be that it was found that if they ground some compounds derived from plants into a mash, withdraw impure substances, put the mash in liquid, screen it out onto fabric sheets giving it enough time to dry out. After drying, it compacted into a firm, resilient sheet that was decidedly light, and provided that it was not allowed to come into contact with water, proved extraordinarily durable.
This the easiest of paper making technologies is still being used in precisely the same way in Tibet and Nepal, the very first areas to take the techniques from China. A basic frame utilises a cloth made from cotton pulled and held over a single side, thin pulp is put in to the far side and spread about until it is even. After which it is left hanging in order for it to allow the water to drain out of it and the mush to dry into a sheet of paper which may be removed.
Eventually a very talented individual worked out that making a frame with ribs and putting a delicate replaceable bamboo mat over it, would enable the paper-making process to be accelerated to a great degree. Rather than utilizing one mould for every sheet of parchment, severely restricting the number of sheets that may be manufactured at the same time, a stack of sieved mache was able to be built up layer upon layer, with merely a length of cotton thread between them which would facilitate separation at a later time. The stack would then be pressed gently, and each sheet of paste shifted to a dry place.