The story of proper paper happened in South East Asia. Like the Egyptians, the Chinese had, nearly 50 centuries in the past, brought out a type of writing that used images. The Egyptians too had been using various things to write on, notably pieces of bamboo and woven silk and it is possible that the barkcloth they were using for other unconnected purposes derived out of the Paper. Mulberry was used as well.
Historical documentation tells us that in 105AD a member of the government by the name of Tsai Lung, invented paper, though it appears from archaeological finds that actually it was in existence in China for probably two hundred years prior to Tsai Lung.
Back during olden times writing was usually on bamboo or occasionally on lengths of silk, which were known as Ji in those days. Nevertheless the great price of silk and the weight of bamboo, these two materials were not of great use. About this time Tsai Lun came up with the idea of making use of tree bark, fish nets, rags, and hemp. In 105 years after the birth of Christ he put an idea to the emperor about the process of paper manufacture and received high praise for his abilities. Consequently, since those distant days paper has been used globally and is called the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If this historical reference is Tsai's entitlement or not, will probably never be uncovered! But what is important is that the discovery was made that they could pound particular plant-derived substances in to a pulp, oust impure materials, place the pulp in liquid, sieve it out onto textile sheets allowing it to dry. After drying, it compacted into a hard, robust sheet that was remarkably light, and providing it was not allowed to get damp, proved extraordinarily dense.
It's a fact that this very straightforward of paper making technologies is even now practised in exactly a similar way within Nepal and Tibet, the very first countries to take the craft from what is now the People's Republic of China. A simple frame utilizes a kind of cotton cloth pulled and held over one side, watery paste is put into the far side and moved around until it is level. After which it is left suspended somewhere to allow the water to drain and the mush to dry in to a paper sheet which may be peeled off.
As time passed an extremely talented individual figured that building a frame with ribs and putting a delicate replaceable bamboo mat over this, would let the paper-making process to be quickened enormously. Instead of utilizing a single mould for every parchment sheet, severely limiting the amount of sheets that can be produced at one time, a stack of sieved grume was able to be built up a layer at a time, with just a length of cotton thread between them in order to enable later separation. The stack would then be pressed very gently, and each layer of mash transferred to a dry board.