The history of real paper started in South East Asia. Similar to the Egyptians, the Chinese had, nearly 50 centuries ago, invented a kind of writing that used pictures. The Egyptians too had been using several types of things to scribe upon, most usually strips of bamboo and woven silk and possibly the barkcloth they utilized for other unconnected purposes derived from the Paper. Mulberry was used also.
History points to the fact that in 105 years after the birth of Christ a member of the government called Tsai Lung, created usable paper, though it is clear from archaeological digs that it was actually in existence in China for probably two hundred years before him.
Way back in times gone by writing was mainly on some form of bamboo or on pieces of silk, which were known as Ji then. But the soaring cost of silk and bamboo being too weighty, these materials were not of great use. Then Tsai Lun came up with the idea of utilizing tree bark, fish nets, rags, and hemp. In 105AD he submitted a report to the emperor with regard to the process of making paper and received many accolades for his abilities. Consequently, from this time paper has been used everywhere and is called the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
Whether this accolade is Tsai's entitlement, will very likely not ever be known! Nonetheless the main consideration is that they found that if they pounded particular plant-derived compounds into a paste, discard unwanted materials, place the paste in liquid, filter it out onto cloth sheets giving it time to dry. After the drying process was complete, it caked into a firm, tough sheet that turned out to be really light, and as long as it did not get damp or wet, turned out to be remarkably robust.
It's a fact that this most simple of papermaking technologies is still being used in precisely the same way around Nepal and Tibet, the very first regions to learn the craft from what is now the People's Republic of China. A simple frame utilizes a cotton cloth pulled and held over a single side, diluted mash is situated in to the other end and spread around until it is smooth. After which it is left that will enable the water to leave it and the mush to dry into a sheet of parchment which will be able to be taken off.
Eventually a developer with great skills realized that manufacturing a frame with ribs and placing a delicate bamboo mat that is replaceable over this, would allow the process to be accelerated enormously. Instead of tying up one mold for every parchment sheet, consequently severely restricting the amount of sheets that are able to be made at one time, a stack of sieved pulp was able to be built up a layer at a time, with just a piece of cotton thread between them to help with later separation. The stack would then be pressed very slightly, and each layer of grume transferred to a dry place.