The story of proper paper started in what is now the People's Republic of China. Similar to the Egyptians, the Chinese had, almost 5,000 years in the past, created a pictographic form of writing. The Egyptians too had been utilizing several kinds of objects to write upon, most notably strips of bamboo and processed silk and possibly the barkcloth they used for other unconnected purposes from the Paper. Mulberry was made use of as well.
Legend points to the fact that in 105 years after the birth of Christ a government worker named Tsai Lung, invented papyrus, though it is almost certain from archaeological finds that it was actually being worked with in China for more than likely two centuries prior to him.
Back in ancient times gone by writing was generally on some derivative of bamboo or sometimes on pieces of silk, which were called Ji in those days. However, the great price of silk and bamboo being too heavy, these two materials were inconvenient. About this time Tsai Lun thought of using tree bark, fish nets, hemp, and rags. In 105AD he delivered a report to the emperor regarding the production of paper and received many accolades for his ability. Consequently, from that time paper has been utilized every place and is called the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If indeed this title is correct, will likely not ever be known! Nevertheless the important consideration has to be that it was found that if they pounded some compounds derived from plant material in to a mash, evacuate impure substances, put the mash in water, sieve it onto fabric sheets giving it time to dry. After the drying process was complete, it compacted into a hard, firm sheet that turned out to be incredibly light, and providing it did not get damp, proved remarkably resilient.
This most straightforward of papermaking technologies is even now practised in precisely the same way around Tibet and Nepal, the first areas to make use of the techniques from South East Asia. A simple frame utilizes a cotton cloth stretched over a single side, diluted mache is put into the far side and moved around until it is smooth. It is then suspended so that it will enable the liquid to leave it and the mush to dry in to a parchment sheet which will be able to be taken off.
There came a time when an extremely talented individual came to the conclusion that building a frame with ribs and putting in place a delicate removable bamboo mat across this, would let the procedure to be accelerated incredibly. Instead of using one mould for every paper sheet, consequently severely limiting the amount of sheets that could be produced at one time, a stack of sieved grume was able to be built up a layer at a time, with only a strip of cotton thread between them to help with later separation. The stack would then be squeezed gently, and each layer of paste shifted to a place to dry.