By the tenth century, paper production was widespread enough to spawn a printing industry in China. Chinese papermakers pulped the bark of the mulberry tree, a process which could not be duplicated elsewhere. In the fourteen century, Europeans developed paper mills that used water power to pulp rags. The inexpensive paper produced by these mills was the basis the printing revolution. | By the tenth century, paper production was widespread enough to spawn a printing industry in China. Chinese papermakers pulped the bark of the mulberry tree, a process which could not be duplicated elsewhere. In the fourteen century, Europeans developed paper mills that used water power to pulp rags. The inexpensive paper produced by these mills was the basis the printing revolution. |