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Paper has been used for applications in analytical and bioanalytical devices for more than a century, owing to its low cost due to its ubiquitous nature. Paper, a cellulosic material, presents several attractive attributes that render it useful in the construction of devices including: biodegradability, biocompatibility, worldwide abundance, chemical stability, three-dimensional fibrous structure, inertness to commonly-used reagents, ease of production and modification. Due to these characteristics, paper is one of the most widely researched substrates for the construction of low-cost disposable devices and sensing platforms. This chapter reviews the changing economic landscape, including the demand for low-cost diagnostics and a price comparison with other inexpensive substrates. The properties of paper, manufacturing challenges, labelling chemistries are also discussed along with the historical trends in …