Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the heat-transfer printing of a longitudinal textile material.The method consists of bringing into contact one side of the textile material and one side of a longitudinal inert carrier for dyes which can be sublimed, defining a motif thereon and of causing the sublimation of the dyes by heating and their transfer from the carrier to the textile material. It is characterized in that the carrier is formed by transversely juxtaposing a plurality of longitudinal belts with a mutual lateral overlap of two adjacent belts transversely staggering the motifs comprised by these two belts by a value corresponding to half the sum of the shrinkage respectively undergone by both the belts over their width owing to said heating, in order that the motifs comprised by these two belts overlap exactly under the heating conditions.

Abstract: A calender for the thermal treatment of laminar material utilizes a band of inert material carrying a design to be transferred to the laminar material. The calendar includes a cylindrical drum, and an endless belt or "messenger" is arranged to hug the surface of the drum so as to force the laminar material and the inert material against one another. Means are provided for driving the messenger in translatory movement along its length and/or for driving the drum about its axis. The messenger is constituted by a plurality of endless bands whose longitudinal edges are positioned side-by-side. A separate regulating means is provided to regulate the tension of each band.