Method for printing and drying

A method for printing and drying a substrate, which comprises the steps of:

• printing an ink containing water and pigment onto the substrate in an inkjet printing process, the substrate having an initial moisture content before the inkjet printing process and absorbing at least the water of the ink, causing the initial moisture content of the substrate to rise to a changed moisture content;
• performing a drying process which includes the sub-steps of:
• applying radiation which selectively acts on water molecules in a first drying step;
• and
• applying additional radiation which selectively acts on the pigment in a second drying step in such a way that after completion of the first and second drying steps, the water of the ink applied has essentially completely evaporated and the substrate has essentially reattained the initial moisture content.