Prepared in thin and flexible sheets, obtained by filtering treated cellulose fibres suspended in water, with successive dehydration and drying. It may be composed of a variety of cellulose fibres (silk, rice, wood, papyrus, etc.) and produced in various weights. Invented by the Chinese and brought to Europe by the Arabs, it was produced and perfected in Italy in the 12th Century, as a support for painting, without affecting the pre-eminence of parchment (or sheep parchment). It was produced on a large scale only after to the invention of non-stop machinery (L. Robert, 1799).