The history of real paper happened in South East Asia. Similar to the Egyptians, the Chinese had, virtually 50 centuries ago, created a pictographic style of writing. The Egyptians too had been utilizing many different types of objects to scribe on, notably lengths of bamboo and woven silk and it is possible that the barkcloth they were making for other reasons derived out of the Paper. Mulberry was used also.
Legend tells us that in 105 years after the birth of Christ a government worker named Tsai Lung, developed usable paper, although it seems from finds by archaeologists that actually it was around in China for more than likely two hundred years before him.
Way back during olden times scribing was generally on bamboo or occasionally on pieces of silk, which were called Ji in those days. But the soaring cost of silk and bamboo being very weighty, these two materials were inconvenient. Around then Tsai Lun thought of using bark, fish nets, rags, and hemp. In 105AD he delivered a report to the emperor with regard to the process of making paper and received many accolades for his inventions. From those distant days paper has been utilized all over the world and is known as the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If indeed the above title is Marquis Tsai's entitlement, will probably never be uncovered! Nonetheless the major consideration is that it was discovered that they could pound some compounds derived from plant matter into a mache, purge impure materials, float the mache in water, filter it onto cloth sheets giving it time to dry. After drying, it conglomerated into a firm, tenacious sheet that was exceedingly light, and as long as it was not allowed to come into contact with water, turned out to be very robust.
This the most simple of papermaking techniques is even now in use in exactly the same way in Nepal and Tibet, the first areas to learn the craft from what is now the People's Republic of China. A simple frame utilizes a cloth made from cotton stretched over a single side, watery grume is situated in to the other end and moved around until it has reached an even state. Then it is left that will allow the liquid to drain out of it and the mush to dry into a sheet of parchment which may be removed by stripping off.
By and by a very clever individual came to realize that manufacturing a frame with an arrangement of ribbing and putting a fine bamboo mat that is removable across this, would enable the paper-making process to be quickened greatly. Instead of using a single mold for each paper sheet, severely limiting the number of sheets that are able to be manufactured at one time, a stack of sieved pulp could be built up a layer at a time, with only a piece of cotton thread between them in order to facilitate later separation. The stack would then be pressed very gently, and every layer of paste moved to a dry board.