Paper is a part of our lives that we might not think much about, but for artists and art lovers it’s not only a medium with immeasurable variety, but it can also be a source of fascination and frustration. Papers are generally made of wood pulp off trees that are from conifer trees such as pine trees. Paper has existed around our lives for a very long time, and continues to serve its purpose in our world today.

Here are a few fun facts that you might not know about about papers: –

1. One of the first forms of papers to ever exist is the papyrus paper, which is made of papyrus trees. The oldest surviving trace of papyrus paper was dated back to 3000 BC Egypt.

2. The word “paper” originated from the Egyptian word “papyrus” that translates to “that which belongs to the house”. Papyrus papers were often used by the bureaucracy of ancient Egypt. Papyrus is which was a type of tree whose pith was used to become papers

3. China was the first nation in the world to start producing paper by hand. While paper is used worldwide today, the Chinese kept it a secret for hundreds of years after its creation in 105 A.D. Around that time, scrolls of silk were used for books, which wasn’t very economical. So, an official from the royal Chinese court figured out a way to make paper from old rags and fishing nets.

4. By recycling a ton of papers (which is about 907 kilograms), you can actually save about 17 trees.

5. Paper was first brought over and introduced to Europe from Arabian traders who have learned the secret of paper making from China.

6. Toilet paper was first introduced in China in the late 9th century.

7. The oldest European document written on paper was from the year 1109. The document was a deed of Sicillian king King Roger II written in Greek and Arabic.

8. In the recent 200 years, about 50% of trees worldwide have been cleared and burnt in order to produce papers.

9. The art of folding paper, Origami, was invented in Japan in the 6th Century but it was strictly reserved for ceremonial purposes. It was over 1000 years later in the 17th Century that Origami began to be done for entertainment, which gained a skyrocketed popularity to the rest of the world.

10. Paper has a weight, the weight helps an artist to determine how much manipulation it can take. Heavier weight paper can take more wet media such as watercolor or acrylic, whereas lighter paper such as newsprint paper won’t hold up to a lot of heavy mark-making and erasing, but lighter paper is great for sketching.

11. Paper has teeth, or specifically tooth. The tooth of a paper is the surface feel, how rough or smooth it is. This affects how certain media looks on the paper, and how an artist might use or choose the paper. Paper processing and production determines the tooth of a paper.

12. Paper isn’t just used for charcoal, ink, or watercolor, it can also be used as art. Contemporary artist Yulia Brodskaya‘s work can be seen around the world with clients such as Target, Sephora, and the New York Times.0 She creates designs and swirling shapes of colors through her all-paper pictures to create dazzling advertisements all around the world. This technique is called quilling which is a technique that has existed for many centuries.

Now that you know these 12 fun facts about paper, we hope that this information has certainly gained your interest and learn to appreciate papers in another deeper level.