The history of real paper happened in what is now the People's Republic of China. Like the Egyptians, the Chinese had, virtually 50 centuries ago, brought out a style of writing that used images. The Egyptians also had been making use of many different types of objects to scribe upon, most usually lengths of bamboo and silk woven into a fine fabric and possibly the barkcloth they were making for other uses derived out of the Paper. Mulberry was used also.
Legend tells us that in 105AD an official named Tsai Lung, created usable paper, although it is almost certain from finds by archaeologists that it was actually being worked with in China for probably two hundred years before him.
Way back in ancient times scribing was usually done on some form of bamboo or sometimes on strips of silk, which were called Ji in those days. However, the prohibitive cost of silk and bamboo being weighty, these materials were not of great use. Due to this Tsai Lun came up with the idea of using the bark from trees, rags, hemp, and fish nets. In 105 years after the birth of Christ he delivered a report to the emperor with regard to the process of making paper and received many accolades for his ideas. Consequently, since that time paper has been in use every place and is known as the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If indeed the above historical tag is Tsai's entitlement, will likely never be known! Nevertheless the major consideration is that it was found that they could grind some compounds taken from plant material in to a grume, cut out spume, put the grume in liquid, filter it out onto cloth sheets allowing it to dry. When it dried, it consolidated into a hard, resilient sheet that was exceedingly light, and as long as it was not allowed to get damp, proved decidedly firm.
It's a fact that this extremely simple of paper making techniques is even now practised in precisely a similar way within Tibet and Nepal, the first areas to learn the technolgies from South East Asia. A basic frame has a cloth manufactured from cotton made to stretch over a side, thin mush is poured into the other side and moved around until it has become even. Then it is left in order for it to enable the water to leave it and the paste to dry into a parchment sheet which may be removed by peeling.
As time passed a very clever individual came to the conclusion that manufacturing a frame with ribbing and putting in place a delicate removable bamboo mat across it, would let the process to be speeded up to a great degree. Rather than using a single mould for every sheet of parchment, consequently severely limiting the amount of sheets that can be made at the same time, a stack of sieved mache could be built up layer upon layer, with merely a piece of cotton thread between them which would facilitate later separation. The stack would then be squeezed slightly, and each layer of mash transferred to a board to dry.