Method of producing cast coated paper using near-infrared radiation

In a method of producing cast coated paper in which a wet coating layer containing as its main components pigment and adhesive applied to a web of paper is heated to permit a gel state to be formed in said layer or is dried after which it is rewetted, and said heated coating layer is then pressed against the surface of a heated drum having a highly polished finishing surface and is dried in contact with said drum surface to there by produce a glazed finish on the surface of said coating layer, the improvement which comprises heating said wet coating layer by means of near-infrared radiations generated by electrically heating a light source filament to a temperature of from about 1600.degree. K. to about 3,800.degree. K. so as to emit near-infrared radiations having wave lengths of 1.8 .mu.m to 0.75 .mu.m at the peak wave lengths of their ranges.