Abstract: To provide a process for coating substrate material in which coating material is ablated in an ablation region by a laser beam in a coating chamber containing a negative pressure, propagates in the form of a coating particle stream in the direction of the substrate material and is deposited on it in the form of a coating, with which substrate material can be coated in large quantities by laser ablation, it is proposed that the substrate material be flat material, that the flat material be passed continuously as a continuous strip through the coating chamber and coated under the negative pressure substantially maintained therein, and that the necessary coating material be fed to the coating chamber while the negative pressure is substantially maintained therein.