Who discovered how to make paper?

Paper is a mat of tiny fibers, felted together. These fibers are the small particles of cellulose that help form the framework of plants. These hairlike fibers can be seen from the edges if we tear a piece of paper.

The ancient Egyptians, about 4000 years ago, took the stems of the papyrus plant and peeled them apart and flattened them. Then they laid them crosswise and pressed them down to stick them together. When dry, this made a sheet of papyrum and could be written on.

However, the real paper was invented in china about the year 105, by a man called Ts’ ai Lun. He found a way to make paper from the stringy inner bark of the mulberry tree.

The Chinese pounded the bark in water to separate the fibers, and then poured the soup mixture onto a tray with a bottom of thin bamboo strips. The water drained away and the soft mat was laid on a smooth surface to dry. Bamboo and old rags were also used. Later on, somebody contemplated on how to improve the paper by brushing starch on it.

Chinese traders travelled far to the west and came to the city of Samarkand in Russia. There they met Arabs who learned their secret and took it to Spain. From there the art of paper making spread over Europe and England.

Now, we have various kinds of paper including cellophane paper, plastic coated paper etc.