How is the remaining water removed from paper after pressing?

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paper mill — papermaking Paper mill in British Columbia, Canada.

After the paper sheet has been pressed to remove excess water, the remaining moisture is removed through the process of evaporation in the dryer section of the paper machine.12

In this section, the sheet is carried through a series of rotating, steam-heated cylinders. To ensure efficient drying, the paper is held in intimate contact with these heated surfaces by means of dryer felts or highly permeable dryer fabrics. High permeability in these materials is essential, as it allows the water vapor to escape from the sheet into the atmosphere. This stage is necessary because, while mechanical pressing is more cost-effective, it can only remove a portion of the water, leaving the sheet with a solids content of approximately 32 to 40 percent before it enters the dryers.1