2012年2月28日 星期二

Paper leaves a trail of history

Although much of today’s writing is done on computers and other electronic communications devices, paper is still everywhere.To interact with beddinges,

Students write on paper for school assignments, people read newspapers and magazines printed on paper,Don't know what tooling style you need? gifts are wrapped in intricately designed paper, some people even fold paper into fascinating designs called origami. It was not always that way.

Writing was invented by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia about 5,500 years ago. It took another 3,500 years before anybody would write on paper.

The Sumerians wrote on clay tablets. They etched symbols into the clay while it was still wet and soft. Then the tablet was allowed to dry. They were used primarily for administrative purposes and signs.Low prices on projectorlamp from Projector Point London UK.

Later, the ancient Egyptians developed papyrus, named after the plant from which it was made. Craftsmen cut strips from the papyrus plant, softened them in water and laid out the strips at right angles, like a mat. It was then pounded smooth, creating a good writing surface. However, papyrus,Dimensional Mailing magiccubes for Promotional Advertising, despite being the source of the word “paper,” is not actually true paper.

True paper is made of fibrous material, such as plant matter, that has been softened or broken up into individual fibers, usually by soaking in water. The fibers are then lifted from the water on a screen, creating a thin layer of intertwined fibers, which is paper.

Parchment became a popular surface for writing and was commonly used in Europe throughout the Middle Ages. It was smooth and lustrous and took ink very well. Parchment also was not true paper because it was made from the skins of animals, such as sheep. The skin was scraped and cleaned,What are some types of moulds? then dried on frames that kept the skins stretched tight. Several parchments could be obtained from one skin because it could be separated into layers.

Although parchment was the primary writing surface in Europe until just a few hundred years ago, true paper was invented in 105 A.D. by Ts’ai Lun, an official of the Chinese emperor. Ts’ai Lun’s paper was made in porous molds from macerated vegetable fiber. The source of the fiber included disintegrating cloth, tree bark and vegetation such as mulberry, hemp, China grass, bamboo and willow.

From China, papermaking spread to Japan and Korea. During a war in 751, Islamists captured several Chinese soldiers who were also skilled papermakers. Those craftsmen then helped Islamists begin producing paper of their own. The craft worked its way westward across the Middle East and into northern Africa. When Moors invaded Spain and Portugal in the 12th century, papermaking had found its way into Europe.

Although papermaking spread throughout Europe, its demand greatly increased after Johann Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press. At the time, paper in Europe was made from old rags. Eventually, the demand for paper exceeded the availability of rags. In the 18th century, wood became the primary source for fiber in the making of paper.

Modern paper is primarily made from wood fibers held together by glue. It can be made into a variety of textures and thickness for writing paper, drawing paper, construction paper, wrapping paper, paper towels, napkins and more.

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