We hear about “going paperless” all the time — a byproduct of technological advancement. And while digital workflows are growing, paper remains an essential part of modern life. From packaging and printing to hygiene and education, its uses are vast and vital.
But paper isn’t new. In fact, many historians agree it was invented in China around 105 BC — making it a true innovation of the ancient world. In this edition of How It’s Made, we’re diving into the modern papermaking process.
Step 1: Logging & Cutting
It all begins with trees — mostly fast-growing evergreen species. That said, more and more manufacturers now use renewable fibers like cotton, bamboo, hemp, and jute to reduce environmental impact.
At the logging site, harvested trees are debarked and processed into wood chips using heavy-duty machinery. Check out the debarking and chipping process here!
Those wood chips are then transported to a paper mill for processing.
Step 2: Pulping
Pulping breaks down wood fibers and separates out the components needed to form paper. There are two primary methods:
- Chemical Pulping: Used for high-strength products like containers, paper bags, and writing paper, this method cooks the chips in a solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide under high pressure (sulfate/kraft process). This removes lignin, sugars, and other impurities to form a fiber-rich slurry, which is then washed, bleached, and screened.
- Mechanical Pulping: Commonly used for newspapers, paper towels, and tissues, this method grinds wood chips using rotating discs — no pressure or heat required. The resulting mixture is also diluted into a slurry and further cleaned for processing.
Step 3: Beating
The pulp slurry is then sent to a beating vat, where it’s pounded and refined. Here, filler materials like chalk, clay, or specialty chemicals are added to control texture, weight, and opacity — all tailored to the intended final use of the paper.
Step 4: Drying
The slurry still contains lots of water — and that moisture needs to go. First, it’s sprayed onto mesh screens to form a wet mat. Then, it’s pressed through industrial rollers to remove about 50% of the water. After pressing, the mats are heated and dried further, bringing total water removal to 90-95%.
Step 5: Rolling
At this stage, the paper is nearly finished. Depending on its end use, additional treatments may be applied. Finally, the dried sheets are fed through industrial rolling machines, creating large paper rolls for use in manufacturing and converting.
Want to see the scale of this operation? Check out this full paper mill tour!
And if you’re interested in sustainability, don’t miss our How It’s Made article on recycling — also on the FlexTrades blog.
