The story of true paper started in South East Asia. Similar to the people of Egypt, the Chinese had, virtually 5000 years in the past, created a kind of writing that used pictures. They too had been utilizing many different kinds of objects to write upon, most commonly pieces of bamboo and silk woven into a fine fabric and it is possible that the barkcloth they used for other uses from the Paper. Mulberry was used also.
Legend leads us to believe that in 105 years after the birth of Christ a member of the government going by the name of Tsai Lung, developed usable paper, although it is almost certain from finds by archaeologists that it was actually around in China for more than likely two centuries before Tsai Lung.
Back during ancient times scribing was usually done on some form of bamboo or sometimes on strips of silk, which were known as Ji in those days. Nevertheless the great price of silk and bamboo being weighty, these two materials were not of great use. Around then Tsai Lun thought of making use of bark, fish nets, hemp, and rags. In 105AD he submitted a report to the emperor about the production of paper and was endowed with high praise for his creativity. Consequently, from those distant times paper has been in use everywhere and is called the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If indeed this accolade is relevant, will probably not ever be known! However, the major factor is that the discovery was made that if they pounded some substances derived from plant matter in to a paste, take out impure materials, put the paste in water, filter it onto cloth sheets allowing it to dry. After the drying process was complete, it caked into a firm, robust sheet that was remarkably light, and providing it was not allowed to get damp or wet, proved really dense.
It's a fact that this simple of papermaking techniques is still in use in exactly a similar way in and around Nepal and Tibet, the initial areas to learn the technolgies from what is now the People's Republic of China. A basic frame has a cotton cloth stretched over one side, diluted mush is put into the other side and moved around until it has become even. Then it is left hanging so that it will allow the liquid to drain and the mash to dry in to a paper sheet which may be peeled off.
There came a time when a clever developer came to realize that manufacturing a frame with ribbing and putting in place a fine bamboo mat that is removable over this, would enable the paper-making procedure to be accelerated to a great degree. Instead of utilizing a single mould for every parchment sheet, consequently severely restricting the number of sheets that are able to be manufactured at one time, a stack of sieved grume was able to be built up a layer at a time, with only a piece of cotton thread between them in order to help with later separation. The stack would then be squeezed gently, and each layer of mache shifted to a dry place.