The history of real paper started in what is now the People's Republic of China. Similar to the indigenous people of Egypt, the Chinese had, virtually 50 centuries ago, brought out a kind of writing that used images. They too had been making use of many different kinds of objects to write upon, most usually strips of bamboo and silk woven into a fine fabric and possibly the barkcloth they were making for other reasons derived out of the Paper. Mulberry was used as well.
Legend points to the fact that in 105AD an official by the name of Tsai Lung, invented papyrus, although it is clear from archaeological discoveries that in fact it was in existence in China for at least two hundred years before him.
Way back during olden times setting down words or pictograms was generally done on some derivative of bamboo or occasionally on lengths of silk, which were known as Ji then. However, the soaring cost of silk and bamboo being very heavy, these materials were not of great use. Around then Tsai Lun thought of utilizing bark from trees, fish nets, rags, and hemp. In 105 years after the birth of Christ he submitted a report to the emperor with regard to the process of making paper and got high praise for his abilities. From those distant days paper has been availed of universally and is called the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If indeed the above title is deserved or not, will likely never be uncovered! Nevertheless what is important has to be that they discovered that they could grind certain compounds taken from plant matter into a mash, purge spume, float the mash in water, screen it out onto fabric sheets giving it time to dry. When it dried, it calcified into a firm, resilient sheet that was particularly light, and provided that it did not get damp or wet, proved extremely tenacious.
It's a fact that this extremely simple of papermaking technologies is still being used in precisely the same way in and around Nepal and Tibet, the first countries to take the craft from South East Asia. A basic frame utilises a type of cotton cloth pulled and held over one side, diluted mache is put in to the opposite end and spread around until it is level. Then it is left that will let the liquid to leave it and the grume to dry into a sheet of paper which will be able to be removed by stripping off.
By and by a talented developer came to realize that constructing a frame with ribs and placing a fine bamboo mat that is replaceable over it, would enable the paper-making process to be speeded up enormously. Instead of using a single mould for each sheet of parchment, consequently severely restricting the amount of sheets that are able to be produced at one time, a stack of sieved paste could be built up layer upon layer, with only a strip of cotton thread between them to help with later separation. The stack would then be pressed very gently, and every layer of pulp shifted to a place to dry.