Abstract: A dryer felt comprising a plurality of spiral coils disposed in a common plane and arranged in a side-by-side relationship with adjacent coils being intermeshed and joined together in a hinged relationship by a hinge yarn of non-circular cross section. During manufacture, the fabric is subjected to a heat treatment under controlled tension to cause the spiral coils, which are normally circular or oval in cross section, to assume the shape of the non-circular stuffer yarns which are typically of elliptical, D-shape, dog bone or two or more rectangular circular cross section yarns with the long side of the stuffer yarn lying in the plane of the fabric. In this way, the air voids within the fabric are substantially filled by the hinge yarns to reduce permeability, while the flattened spiral coils provide smooth paper-receiving and machine roll contacting surfaces on the resultant dryer felt.