The origins of true paper began in what is now the People's Republic of China. Similar to the Egyptians, the Chinese had, almost 5000 years ago, created a type of writing that used pictures. The Egyptians also had been utilizing several kinds of things to scribe on, most usually pieces of bamboo and processed silk and it is possible that the barkcloth they were making for other purposes from the Paper. Mulberry was also used.
Legend tells us that in 105AD a member of the government named Tsai Lung, brought out usable paper, although it seems from archaeological digs that actually it was in existence in South East Asia for probably two hundred years prior to Tsai Lung.
Way back during ancient times writing was generally done on bamboo or on lengths of silk, which were known as Ji in those days. Nevertheless the cost of silk and bamboo being very heavy, these two materials were not of great use. Due to this Tsai Lun came up with the idea of making use of tree bark, fish nets, hemp, and rags. In 105 years after the birth of Christ he delivered a report to the emperor about the process of paper manufacture and got high accolade for his abilities. From that time paper has been used universally and is called the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
Whether this accolade is Tsai's entitlement, will likely never be uncovered! But the main factor is that it was found that if they ground particular substances derived from plant matter in to a mash, throw out spume, float the mash in water, screen it out onto textile sheets allowing it to dry. When fully dried, it calcified into a hard, durable sheet that was astonishingly light, and providing it did not get wet, proved extremely firm.
This the easiest of paper making techniques is still being used in precisely the same way in and around Tibet and Nepal, the very first regions to make use of the techniques from China. A basic frame has a kind of cotton cloth pulled and held over a single side, watery mush is situated into the opposite end and moved around until it is even. After which it is left hanging that will allow the liquid to leave it and the mache to dry in to a sheet of paper which can be removed by peeling.
As time went by an extremely clever individual came to realize that constructing a frame with ribbing and placing a fine bamboo mat that is replaceable across this, would let the paper-making process to be accelerated greatly. Instead of utilizing one mold for every parchment sheet, consequently severely limiting the amount of sheets that could be manufactured at one time, a stack of sieved paste was able to be built up a layer at a time, with only a piece of cotton thread between them which would enable separation at a later time. The stack would then be pressed very gently, and each sheet of pulp transferred to a place to dry.