Method in calendering of a paper web and a calendar that makes use of the method

A calender for calendering a paper web, comprising:

• a first roll, said first roll being a hard roll,
• a second roll in nip forming relationship with the first roll,
• a paper alignment roll spaced from the first and second rolls,
• an endless band trained around the second roll and the paper alignment roll and extending through the nip formed by the first and second rolls, wherein the endless band presents a soft face to the first roll,
• whereby when the first and second rolls are rotated in first and second opposite senses and the paper alignment roll is rotated in the second sense, the endless band is fed around the second roll and the paper alignment roll and passes through the nip, the first and second senses being such that the endless band passes from the paper alignment roll to the nip,
• wherein the paper alignment roll is positioned such that the endless band wraps partially around the first roll upstream of the nip, whereby when the paper web is passed around the paper alignment roll and between the first roll and the endless band, the web passes along the endless band into the nip with a first surface layer of the web toward the first roll and contacts the first roll before entering the nip,
• a heating means for heating the first roll to an extent such that the first surface layer of the paper web is plasticized, and
• means for feeding steam or water onto the first surface layer of the paper web upstream of contact with the first roll.