felt to a press nip n formed between an upper press roll 17 and the lower press roll 16 water is transferred from the web into the felt 13 in the press nip n with the upper press roll 17 being a suction roll with a gland therein or being another form of open roll such as a grooved roll on the offrunning side of the nip n a guide roll 19 leads the felt 13 away from the nip and away from the web on the underside of the web in the nip n the web is sandwiched between the felt 13 and an endless traveling impervious belt 15 the belt has a smooth upper surface and has a smoothness and a hardness or density generally similar to a plain press roll cover and therefore the belt acts like an expanded press roll carrying the sheet onwardly to the next press the belt surface preferably has a hardness in the range of between 10 and 200 p amp j since the belt surface is impervious to water there is no rewetting of the sheet when carried on the belt on the offrunning side of the nip n as in the case of when a felt is used and the sheet transfer is accomplished on a felt the web or paper sheet follows the belt 15 following the first press nip n since the belt has a smoother or more dense surface also the web is not in contact with a felt between presses as it travels to an intermediate press nip n i so that rewetting does not occur during the travel time between press nips while the presses shown.