The story of proper paper started in China. Similar to the people of Egypt, the Chinese had, virtually fifty centuries in the past, brought out a type of pictographic writing. The Egyptians also had been making use of several kinds of things to scribe on, notably strips of bamboo and processed silk and it is possible that the barkcloth they utilized for other reasons derived from the Paper. Mulberry was also used.
Legend points to the fact that in 105AD a member of the government named Tsai Lung, developed usable paper, though it is almost certain from archaeological finds that actually it was in existence in South East Asia for probably two centuries before Tsai Lung.
Way back in ancient times gone by writing was usually on bamboo or on lengths of silk, which were called Ji in those days. Nonetheless the great price of silk and bamboo being heavy, these two materials were not of great use. Due to this Tsai Lun came up with the idea of utilizing the bark from trees, fish nets, rags, and hemp. In 105 years after the birth of Christ he put an idea to the emperor about the production of paper and was endowed with many accolades for his inventions. Consequently, since that time paper has been availed of everywhere and is known as the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If this historical reference is correct or not, will very likely never be uncovered! Nevertheless the important factor has to be that they found that they could pound particular substances taken from plant matter in to a grume, depose impure substances, float the grume in liquid, screen it out onto cloth sheets and give it time to dry out. After the drying process was complete, it compressed into a firm, dense sheet that turned out to be extraordinarily light, and provided that it was not allowed to get damp, turned out to be decidedly resilient.
It's a fact that this extremely simple of papermaking technologies is even now still being used in precisely a similar way within Nepal and Tibet, the very first countries to pick up the craft from what is now the People's Republic of China. A simple frame utilises a type of cotton cloth pulled and held over a single side, thin pulp is situated into the far end and spread about until it has reached a level. Then it is left suspended so that it will allow the water to drain and the mash to dry into a parchment sheet which can be removed by stripping off.
There came a time when a talented developer figured that manufacturing a frame with ribbing and putting in place a fine bamboo mat that is replaceable across this, would let the paper-making process to be accelerated incredibly. Rather than tying up one mold for each paper sheet, therefore severely limiting the amount of sheets that can be made at the same time, a stack of sieved mache was able to be built up a layer at a time, with merely a length of cotton thread between them which would help with separation at a later time. The stack would then be pressed lightly, and every layer of mush moved to a dry board.