Printing Paper | The Most Important Plant Based Product

Everyday we spend increasing amounts of time in front of screens. Ever since anyone found personal computers and phones the way we consume information has changed. And yet we cannot see any reduction in sales of paper or related products. 

Even though we can draw diagrams and read books or do almost anything that we can do on paper on a screen we still have paper sales stubbornly increasing every day. 

Then the question arises : 

Why do we still need paper?

There is an inherent need of using or needing electricity to use your phone and proper space along with the internet to use your monitor. Whereas finding a paper is just a matter of 2 seconds and then you can go on to writing, doodling or making anything you like without any restriction especially without the blindingly bright LCD lights. 

Apart from being an intricate part of learning or work, paper is also a huge part of the decoration, packaging and craft industry which probably cannot be replaced by another product. 

So, we need paper because. It's easy to access. 

Simply open a book to read or grab a notebook to draw something. You don't need to have an extra drawing device or expensive touchscreen reader. 

It is convenient to work with.

There isn't any blinding light or a need to charge while being extremely handy to use. You can write, draw, doodle or make paper crafts without needing a lot of expensive accessories or materials. 

Lightweight and compact to travel with.

A paperback book is anyday much more of an immersive experience for reading or travelling with as compared to a E-book reader. You can also find yourself liking a drawing notebook better than a drawing software on an expensive and delicate tablet. 

Holds a certain sense of permanence.

Would you rather have your photos or important documents tucked away in your computer which may or may not crash irreversibly? Or would you rather have your favourite photos printed and displayed in a framed photo along with your important documents laminated for uninhibited repeated access for as long as you live? Paper makes the difference by adding tangible permanence. 

It is a cruelty free product made from a renewable resource. 

Electronics still add up to a lot of non-recyclable waste whereas most of the paper today is made from trees and recycled consumer waste. In fact, most paper making industries are continuously planting the trees that they use so as to have a ready supply of raw material without harming the environment. 

It is a multi-purpose material.

You already use paper products not just for exchanging information or communication, it is a huge part of packaging as well as the paper craft industry. You use it for cleaning as well as for cooking only because it is a plant based product. 

But, what happened when we didn't have paper?

Many years ago, when paper had not been invented yet, that was a desperate dearth of surfaces to write on. 

Messages or pictures or symbols for information were drawn on rocks caves or carved permanently on wood or stone surfaces. 

For some time silk was used for writing but since it was a rare and expensive material, it was not judicious for everyone to use. Around this time parchment paper made out of animal skin was also used widely for communicating information or for making long lasting documents.

The chinese invented paper

The need for an affordable, lightweight and convenient surface for exchanging information led to the invention of paper by the Chinese. Cai Lun, a chinese court dignitary began to make paper from scraps of old cloth, bark of trees mixed with fish net around 105 AD. The secret of making paper was kept under wraps for a long time with the Chinese.

After the invention of paper

By the 6th century Buddhist monk Dam Jing brought paper to Japan. The Japanese then began making paper from the mulberry bark. This led to a slow movement of paper reaching different parts of the world and mixed with other ingredients such as fiber paper, linen and hemp to make high quality plant based products i.e. modern paper. 

At ThunderBolt Paper, we are always excited to share all of our plant based products that are suitable for all your writing, drawing, paper craft and printing paper needs. We would love to hear from you about your experience with our products in comments below or any of our social media handles.