Throughout the world, since ancient times, record keeping and writing have been important for whatever reasons. Finding a surface for the writing was essential, and that surface needed to be smooth and permanent. In the Middle East, clay tablets were used to preserve records. Egyptians developed papyrus. The West and the East developed similar paper-making processes. In both methods, various types of fibers, or pulp, were suspended in water and possibly other chemicals or ingredients. The pulp, suspended in water, is then placed onto a screen. The screen is shaken, the pulp spreads across the screen, the screen is lifted, and the water drains out. The pulp is left behind, and a piece of paper is created.
Traditionally-made Asian papers differ from western papers, even though the manufacturing process is similar. The difference is the types of plants used to create the paper. In the west, cotton paper was the most common until the invention of large-scale wood pulp paper in the 1800s. Handmade paper in the west is still usually based on cotton lint, although other materials can be added to it. In Japan, the handmade paper tradition continues, although costs rise as materials and paper makers become more scarce.
The following video shows traditional Japanese paper – washi – being made after all the labor-intensive prep work has been done.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 