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Paper
The books printed in the British Isles before 1700 were mostly printed on paper (although a few were printed on vellum - animal skin which had been smoothed and prepared for writing or printing on).
The paper that these early books were printed on was different from modern paper in that it was hand-made, mostly from waste material such as linen rags (from material such as old clothes). After having buttons and hooks removed, the rags were then steeped in water before being turned into a pulp by pounding the wet rags. These were then placed in paper vats (like troughs).
Paper moulds (or trays with a wire mesh stretched across the bottom) were then dipped into the pulp solution, and lifted out, with the water dropping through the holes in the mesh, leaving a thin layer of the wet, fibrous pulp on top. This sheet was then tipped out of the mould and placed on sheets of felt, onto a pile of other sheets of paper and felt. These piles were placed in presses to force any excess water out of the paper. The sheets were then taken out and hung on lines to dry in the air. To prevent them from being porous to ink (which encouraged smudging) the sheets were 'sized' or treated with a solution of animal glue. Sometimes the sheets were made smooth by 'glazing' or pressing against a special stone, or beating with 'glazing' hammers.