The history of true paper started in what is now the People's Republic of China. Like the Egyptians, the Chinese had, nearly five thousand years ago, created a kind of writing that used pictures. They also had been using many different things to scribe on, usually strips of bamboo and silk woven into a fine fabric and it is possible that the barkcloth they used for other reasons from the Paper. Mulberry was also used.
Legend tells us that in 105AD an official named Tsai Lung, developed papyrus, although it seems from finds by archaeologists that it was actually being worked with in China for probably two hundred years prior to Tsai Lung.
Back during ancient times gone by setting down words was usually on some form of bamboo or on lengths of silk, which were known as Ji in those days. But the soaring cost of silk and bamboo being very weighty, these two materials were not of great use. Due to these factors Tsai Lun thought of utilizing bark, hemp, rags, 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 high praise for his abilities. Consequently, from those days paper has been availed of in almost every place on earth and is known as the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If indeed this historical reference is Tsai's entitlement or not, will likely never be known! Nevertheless the most important consideration must be that the discovery was made that they could pound some compounds taken from plant material into a mush, bstract unwanted materials, put the mush in water, screen it out onto fabric sheets and allow it to dry. After drying, it compressed into a hard, firm sheet that was exceedingly light, and provided that it did not get wet, proved decidedly tenacious.
This easiest of papermaking techniques is even now still being used in exactly a similar way within Nepal and Tibet, the very first countries to make use of the techniques from South East Asia. A basic frame makes use of a cloth made from cotton pulled and held over a single side, very watery grume is emptied in to the other end and moved around until it has reached a level. After which it is left so that it will enable the liquid to drain and the pulp to dry into a sheet of parchment which can be taken off.
At some point in time a very talented individual came to the conclusion that constructing a frame with ribbing and putting a fine replaceable bamboo mat across this, would let the paper-making procedure to be quickened to a much greater degree. Instead of using a single mold for every paper sheet, consequently severely restricting the number of sheets that may be manufactured at the same time, a stack of sieved mash could be built up layer upon layer, with only a piece of cotton thread between them to enable separation at a later time. The stack would then be squeezed gently, and each sheet of paste transferred to a dry place.