The origins of proper paper started in China. Similar to the indigenous people of Egypt, the Chinese had, virtually five thousand years ago, developed a style of writing that used images. They also had been utilizing various types of things to write upon, most usually lengths of bamboo and silk woven into a fine fabric and possibly the barkcloth they used for other purposes derived from the Paper. Mulberry was also used.
History points to the fact that in 105AD an official called Tsai Lung, created usable paper, though it is clear from finds by archaeologists that it was in fact in existence in what is now the People's Republic of China for more than likely two hundred years prior to him.
Back in olden times setting down words or pictograms was usually on bamboo or on pieces of silk, which were then called ji. Nonetheless silk was expensive and bamboo being too heavy, these materials were not of great use. At this time Tsai Lun came up with the idea of making use of the bark from trees, rags, hemp, and fish nets. In 105 years after the birth of Christ he made a report to the emperor with regard to the production of paper and was endowed with much praise for his idea. Consequently, from those days paper has been used every place and is known as the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If indeed the above title is deserved or not, will probably never be uncovered! Nevertheless the major consideration has to be that they found that if they pounded certain compounds derived from plant material into a pulp, take out unwanted materials, put the pulp in water, sieve it onto textile sheets and give it time to dry out. When fully dried, it compressed into a firm, tenacious sheet that turned out to be extraordinarily light, and as long as it did not get wet, proved surprisingly dense.
This the easiest of papermaking techniques is still being used in exactly the same way within Nepal and Tibet, the initial places to pick up the techniques from South East Asia. A simple frame utilizes a cotton cloth stretched over one side, diluted mache is poured in to the opposite end and spread about until it has reached a level. After which it is left hanging in order for it to enable the liquid to leave it and the paste to dry into a parchment sheet which may be removed by peeling.
Eventually an extremely talented developer figured that making a frame with ribbing and putting a delicate bamboo mat that is replaceable across this, would let the process to be accelerated incredibly. Rather than tying up a single mold for each sheet of parchment, therefore severely limiting the amount of sheets that may be made at the same time, a stack of sieved grume was able to be built up layer upon layer, with merely a strip of cotton thread between them in order to facilitate later separation. The stack would then be pressed very gently, and every sheet of mush moved to a place to dry.