The History of Paper
The earliest form of paper originated in Egypt in 3000BC.
In the Nile River valley a marsh grass called "Cyperous Papyrus" grew.
The Egyptians cut thin strips from the plants stem and softened them in water.
The strips were layered at right-angles to form a mat, which was pounded into a thin sheet before being baked in the sun to dry.
The resulting mats were an ideal substrate to write on, and due to their lightweight and portable nature, became the chosen writing material for works of art, religious texts and record keeping amongst Egyptians, Romans and Greeks.
In Central America in the 2nd Century AD the Mayans developed a similar method for bookmaking, and in the Pacific Islands a form of paper was produced by beating fine bark over specifically shaped logs.
The name paper derives from the word papyrus and although similar to paper in terms of function, the method of production is different and in reality creates laminated sheets, which are technically different to the papers of today.
The earliest true form of paper was derived in China by T'sai Lun - Han Emporor Ho-Ti's chief eunuch in 105AD.
T'sai Lun experimented with a wide variety of materials to refine the process of macerating plant fibres so each filament was entirely separate.
These individual fibres were mixed with water before a large screen was submerged and lifted through the water, catching the plant fibres on the surface.
Once dry the thin sheet of intertwined fibres became the paper that we know today.
The thin, smooth and flexible paper created by T'sai Lun's technique was known as T'sai Ko'Shi, meaning "Distinguished T'sai's Paper".
In the 3rd century the method of papermaking spread to Vietnam and then Tibet, followed by Korea in the 4th century and Japan in the 6th century.
During the 8th century, the Empress Shotuka, the 48th imperial ruler of Japan, began the huge task of printing a million prayers (dharani) on individual sheets of paper, which were each to be mounted on a separate pagoda.
This project alone ensured the fine art of papermaking continued in Japan even to this day.
Papermaking continued to spread throughout the globe, to Asia and Nepal before spreading to India.
It was during a war between the Islamic world and the Tang Dynasty in 751AD when papermaking really spread westward.
During a battle on the banks of the Tarus River, Islamic warriors captured a Chinese caravan, which had inside several Chinese papermakers.
The warriors sent the papermakers to Samarkland, which later became a vast centre for paper production.
Slowly papermakers spread further west, through the Muslim world, Baghdad and Cairo before finally to Europe when the Moors from North Africa invaded Spain and Portugal in the 12th century.
Throughout Europe, the use of papyrus ended in the 9th century and parchment made from animal skin was the preferred medium.
Parchment was still very expensive however, with a single bible requiring an estimated 300 sheep skins.
It wasn't until the 15th century that paper was used as a practical, every day item.
In 1439 Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg, a German goldsmith and printer, developed movable type printing.
The development led to a printing revolution and furthermore sparked a revolution in mass communication.
As a result the birth of modern paper and the printing industry is regularly referred to as this date and the invention is widely regarded as the most important development of the modern era, playing a key role in the development of Renaissance, reformation and the scientific revolution.
Johannes major work, the Gutenberg Bible, known also as the "42-line bible" to distinguish it from other early printed bibles, took years to produce, requiring nearly 300 different pieces of type.
The bibles were printed on handmade paper from Italy and vellum (scraped calf skin), and the finished bibles included rubrics added after the printing process manually by scribes.
With an ever increasing demand for paper, printing technologies quickly developed and a variety of materials were experimented with including straw, cabbage and wasp nests.
Finally wood was settled upon as an inexpensive and sustainable material and today it is the long soft fibres of softwoods such as pine, fur and spruce which are thought to produce the most suitable pulp for mass production.
The demand for paper also formed a requirement for greater efficiency in manufacturing, leading to the creation of the mass production paper machines used today.
In today's society, the mass-production of paper is a huge industry supplying the production of books, magazines, newspapers, bags, money and much more.
Used widely throughout business its uses incorporate a range of company paper products including a4 paper printing for items such as printed letterheads and a range of other size paper printing for materials such as flyers, leaflets and comp slips.
Specific brands have also become well-known for developing paper ranges in particular finishes, such as Conqueror, known for their range of finishes including the traditional laid and wove as well as modern ultra smooth finishes, ideal for Conqueror letterheads, Conqueror compliment slips and other company paper stationery.
In the Nile River valley a marsh grass called "Cyperous Papyrus" grew.
The Egyptians cut thin strips from the plants stem and softened them in water.
The strips were layered at right-angles to form a mat, which was pounded into a thin sheet before being baked in the sun to dry.
The resulting mats were an ideal substrate to write on, and due to their lightweight and portable nature, became the chosen writing material for works of art, religious texts and record keeping amongst Egyptians, Romans and Greeks.
In Central America in the 2nd Century AD the Mayans developed a similar method for bookmaking, and in the Pacific Islands a form of paper was produced by beating fine bark over specifically shaped logs.
The name paper derives from the word papyrus and although similar to paper in terms of function, the method of production is different and in reality creates laminated sheets, which are technically different to the papers of today.
The earliest true form of paper was derived in China by T'sai Lun - Han Emporor Ho-Ti's chief eunuch in 105AD.
T'sai Lun experimented with a wide variety of materials to refine the process of macerating plant fibres so each filament was entirely separate.
These individual fibres were mixed with water before a large screen was submerged and lifted through the water, catching the plant fibres on the surface.
Once dry the thin sheet of intertwined fibres became the paper that we know today.
The thin, smooth and flexible paper created by T'sai Lun's technique was known as T'sai Ko'Shi, meaning "Distinguished T'sai's Paper".
In the 3rd century the method of papermaking spread to Vietnam and then Tibet, followed by Korea in the 4th century and Japan in the 6th century.
During the 8th century, the Empress Shotuka, the 48th imperial ruler of Japan, began the huge task of printing a million prayers (dharani) on individual sheets of paper, which were each to be mounted on a separate pagoda.
This project alone ensured the fine art of papermaking continued in Japan even to this day.
Papermaking continued to spread throughout the globe, to Asia and Nepal before spreading to India.
It was during a war between the Islamic world and the Tang Dynasty in 751AD when papermaking really spread westward.
During a battle on the banks of the Tarus River, Islamic warriors captured a Chinese caravan, which had inside several Chinese papermakers.
The warriors sent the papermakers to Samarkland, which later became a vast centre for paper production.
Slowly papermakers spread further west, through the Muslim world, Baghdad and Cairo before finally to Europe when the Moors from North Africa invaded Spain and Portugal in the 12th century.
Throughout Europe, the use of papyrus ended in the 9th century and parchment made from animal skin was the preferred medium.
Parchment was still very expensive however, with a single bible requiring an estimated 300 sheep skins.
It wasn't until the 15th century that paper was used as a practical, every day item.
In 1439 Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg, a German goldsmith and printer, developed movable type printing.
The development led to a printing revolution and furthermore sparked a revolution in mass communication.
As a result the birth of modern paper and the printing industry is regularly referred to as this date and the invention is widely regarded as the most important development of the modern era, playing a key role in the development of Renaissance, reformation and the scientific revolution.
Johannes major work, the Gutenberg Bible, known also as the "42-line bible" to distinguish it from other early printed bibles, took years to produce, requiring nearly 300 different pieces of type.
The bibles were printed on handmade paper from Italy and vellum (scraped calf skin), and the finished bibles included rubrics added after the printing process manually by scribes.
With an ever increasing demand for paper, printing technologies quickly developed and a variety of materials were experimented with including straw, cabbage and wasp nests.
Finally wood was settled upon as an inexpensive and sustainable material and today it is the long soft fibres of softwoods such as pine, fur and spruce which are thought to produce the most suitable pulp for mass production.
The demand for paper also formed a requirement for greater efficiency in manufacturing, leading to the creation of the mass production paper machines used today.
In today's society, the mass-production of paper is a huge industry supplying the production of books, magazines, newspapers, bags, money and much more.
Used widely throughout business its uses incorporate a range of company paper products including a4 paper printing for items such as printed letterheads and a range of other size paper printing for materials such as flyers, leaflets and comp slips.
Specific brands have also become well-known for developing paper ranges in particular finishes, such as Conqueror, known for their range of finishes including the traditional laid and wove as well as modern ultra smooth finishes, ideal for Conqueror letterheads, Conqueror compliment slips and other company paper stationery.
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