Egyptians would revolutionize the literary world by producing a smooth, flexible writing material that could accept and retain ink without a blur or smudge. This material, papyrus, would remain in use for longer than any other material in the history of written documents.By the 11th century, papermaking was brought to Europe.
European improvements to the papermaking process came in the 19th century with the invention of wood-based papers.Before the invention and current widespread adoption of automated machinery, all paper was made by hand.Paper made from other fibers, cotton being the most common, tends to be valued higher than wood-based paper.
