A brief history of paper

The art of papermaking is a technology that is more than a thousand years old as indicated in archaeological discoveries found in China dating from 100 AD. It started as a well-guarded secret; the knowledge of papermaking was brought to Samarkand by Chinese prisoners of war during the year 751 AD. It reached Europe by the 12th century.

Plant fibres and old clothing, these are put in a mortar-like stone trough, diluted with water and stamped to a pulpy mass. The mass is then drained through a screen and dried. This was how paper was first made.

In the 13th century the Italians added animal glue and the watermark. There was already 218 paper mills operating in Germany by around the 16th century and papermaking was known in almost all countries in Europe.

Nicolas Luis Robert, a Frenchman, obtained a patent in 1799 for a mechanically moving screen, a principle still used today in modern paper machines.

During the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century the development of all technologies, including paper production, were not to be stopped. During the course of 100 years engineers developed countless technological improvements, such as new drive systems, and special products such as carton, cardboard and sanitary paper. The working width of machinery increased from 85 to 770cm, speeds accelerated from 5m/min. to 500m/min.

Computer systems introduced during the 1960s automated production and guaranteed paper uniformity. The pressure during the 1980s to protect the environment lead to 100% chlorine-free bleaches. Owing to the current situation with raw materials so-called low-quality woods and waste woods are now applied in paper production.