Home > Clairefontaine Papers > The history of paper
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In the year 105, Ts'ai Lun, a Chinese court official, presented a written report to the Emperor on the process of papermaking, which had been invented in his country three centuries before. Paper was prepared by hand from mulberry and bamboo fibres. |
Paper made from old rags was introduced into Europe by the Arabs in the 10th century. Paper mills became increasingly widespread, particularly after Gutenberg invented the printing press in around 1440.
This Italian invention goes back to the 11th century. The water driven stamping trough ground rags more efficiently and thus increased the productivity of the first paper mills.
1799 was the year of the great revolution in the papermaking industry with the construction of the first continuous paper machine. The prototype invented by the Frenchman, Louis Nicolas Robert, is the inspiration behind modern installations.
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