A drying section for drying a web in a papermaking machine has a pre-drying section and a final drying section, wherein the pre-drying section includes a hot press formed by a first press member and a rotatable counter roll in engagement with each other so as to form a nip therebetween through which the web passes. The hot press further includes a heating device disposed in heat-transfer relation to the counter roll and operable to heat a surface region of the counter roll which then passes through the nip so as to heat the web therein, and an imprinting fabric arranged in an endless loop, the imprinting fabric defining an imprinting surface for imprinting the web and being arranged to pass through the nip of the hot press with the web against the imprinting surface such that the web is imprinted. The imprinting fabric continues to support the imprinted web downstream of the hot press at least up to the final drying section.