The papermaker carefully lifted the paper-forming frame, which is the "sieve," and placed it on a rack surrounded by several furnaces to increase the temperature.
After more than half an hour, a craftsman removed the paper-forming frame and carefully peeled off the paper on top, respectfully presenting it to Joseph, "Master, take a look, it's already dry."
Under normal drying processes, it would take at least half a day; the use of high heat to speed up drying was purely for demonstration to Mirabeau.
Joseph rubbed the paper in his hands, which was crisp and quite thick, with uneven texture inside; one could say its quality was rather poor. But it was undoubtedly a sheet of paper—made from wood.
He passed the paper to Mirabeau with a touch of regret, "The craftsmen and I are first-timers with this new technology, so the quality of the product isn't too good."
However, he was not in a hurry since papermaking largely depends on experience.