The origins of proper paper started in China. Like the Egyptians, the Chinese had, virtually 5,000 years in the past, developed a style of writing that used pictures. They too had been utilizing many different types of objects to write on, most usually lengths of bamboo and processed silk and it is possible that the barkcloth they made for other unconnected purposes from the Paper. Mulberry was used also.
Legend points to the fact that in 105 years after the birth of Christ a government worker named Tsai Lung, created usable paper, although it is almost certain from archaeological digs that it was in fact around in South East Asia for probably two hundred years before Tsai Lung.
Way back during ancient times writing was generally done on bamboo or occasionally on pieces of silk, which were then called ji. But silk being expensive and bamboo being too weighty, these materials were not of great use. Due to these factors Tsai Lun came up with the idea of making use of tree bark, fish nets, rags, and hemp. In 105AD he put an idea to the emperor regarding the process of making paper and got much praise for his creativity. Since those days paper has been in use all over the world and is known as the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If indeed this title is correct, will probably not ever be known! Nevertheless the main factor must be that they discovered that they could grind some plant-derived substances into a paste, oust spume, put the paste in liquid, screen it onto fabric sheets allowing it to dry. After drying, it consolidated into a firm, robust sheet that turned out to be decidedly light, and as long as it did not come into contact with water, proved remarkably firm.
This the easiest of paper making technologies is still being used in precisely the same way in Nepal and Tibet, the initial areas to learn the techniques from what is now the People's Republic of China. A simple frame utilises a cloth manufactured from cotton pulled and held over a single side, very watery mush is emptied in to the other side and spread around until it is smooth. After which it is left hanging so that it will enable the water to drain and the mache to dry in to a sheet of parchment which may be peeled off.
It eventually came to pass that a talented developer worked out that manufacturing a frame with ribbing and putting a fine bamboo mat that is removable over it, would allow the paper-making procedure to be speeded up enormously. Rather than using one mold for every sheet of paper, severely restricting the amount of sheets that can be made at the same time, a stack of sieved mash could be built up layer upon layer, with merely a length of cotton thread between them in order to facilitate separation at a later time. The stack would then be pressed slightly, and each sheet of grume moved to a place to dry.