The history of real paper began in South East Asia. Like the people of Egypt, the Chinese had, nearly fifty centuries ago, invented a style of writing that used pictures. They too had been making use of many different kinds of things to scribe on, most commonly pieces of bamboo and woven silk and it is possible that the barkcloth they were making for other uses from the Paper. Mulberry was made use of too.
Historical documentation tells us that in 105 years after the birth of Christ a member of the government going by the name of Tsai Lung, developed papyrus, although it seems from archaeological digs that it was in fact being worked with in China for at least two centuries prior to him.
During ancient times gone by setting down words or pictograms was usually done on some derivative of bamboo or on lengths of silk, which were known as Ji in those days. However, the cost of silk and the weight of bamboo, these two materials were not convenient. Around then Tsai Lun thought of utilizing bark from trees, hemp, fish nets, and rags. In 105AD he made a report to the emperor on the process of making paper and received high accolade for his ability. Since those distant days paper has been used universally and is known as the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
Whether this accolade is accurate or not, will probably never be uncovered! But what is important must be that they found that if they pounded particular substances taken from plant material into a mache, take away impurities, float the mache in water, filter it onto fabric sheets and allow it to dry. After the drying process was complete, it consolidated into a firm, robust sheet that was astonishingly light, and as long as it did not get damp or wet, proved surprisingly durable.
It's a fact that this extremely simple of paper making techniques is even now in use in precisely a similar way within Tibet and Nepal, the initial regions to pick up the craft from what is now the People's Republic of China. A simple frame has a kind of cotton cloth stretched over a single side, thin mash is emptied in to the far end and spread about until it is level. Then it is left hanging that will enable the liquid to leave it and the mush to dry into a paper sheet which will be able to be taken off.
Eventually a very talented individual worked out that manufacturing a frame with an arrangement of ribbing and placing a delicate bamboo mat that is removable across this, would allow the paper-making process to be quickened enormously. Instead of tying up a single mould for every parchment sheet, severely limiting the number of sheets that can be manufactured at one time, a stack of sieved paste could be built up layer upon layer, with merely a piece of cotton thread between them in order to help with separation at a later time. The stack would then be pressed gently, and each layer of grume moved to a dry place.