The invention relates to a method and an assembly for producing a flat printed packaging material, having the steps of:—providing a quasi-endless web of the packaging material on a first web roller or—providing a sheet of the flat packaging material on a first sheet stack,—unwinding or receiving and transporting the packaging material by means of at least one printing station for printing a surface of the packaging material,—subsequently transporting the packaging material through at least one drying station in order to dry the printing on the packaging material, and—winding the printed and dried packaging material onto a second web roller or—depositing the printed and dried packaging material onto a second sheet stack, wherein the drying process in the drying station comprises an irradiation process using electromagnetic radiation with a radiation density maximum in the near-infrared range and with a high power density, in particular between 100 and 800 kW/m2, and the packaging material is transported at least through the drying station on a thermally conductive carrier with an adjustable temperature.