Paper is an aqueous deposit of any vegetable fibre in sheet form. If you tear a piece of paper you will see a number of minute 'whiskers' sticking out from the line of the tear. These are the fibres, they are very small in size (not much more than a millimetre in length) and there are millions of them in any piece of paper.

Paper is made from cellulose - trees being the main source of cellulose fibre (or woodpulp). Besides woodpulp, paper can be made from other materials such as cotton, flax, esparto, straw, hemp, manilla and jute. 

Some of the pulp properties depend upon the process used to separate the fibres from the timber. The main processes are called mechanical and chemical. Visit our Papermaking Process diagram to see in more detail how paper is made. 

These pictures are close-ups of different wood fibres.

Intertwined Paper Fibres

Little can happen in modern life without paper and board. We depend on this material. It can be permanent or short-lived, delicate or strong, it can be preserved in a museum or simply thrown away. It can decompose in water yet maps withstand the weather and even boat hulls have been made from it. Paper may be coated, creped, waterproofed, waxed, glazed, printed, coloured. It may be made to burn or be made fire-resistant. It may be made tough enough to withstand acid or soft enough for a baby's skin. It can be read from, laid on and worn as a garment. The range of possible uses for paper is almost limitless.

Just think how many times you look at, touch, see paper during your day. You'll be surprised. We tend to take paper for granted but we would have to ask ourselves - where would we be without it?