a continuous process for treating a web of material by the wet - in - wet application of two serially arranged treatment baths includes the steps of : applying a first treatment bath to the web ; squeezing off excess moisture from the web to a specified moisture content ; applying a second treatment bath to the web while it is still wet from the first treatment bath such that the web is in contact with a quantity of the second bath that is no greater than that quantity that can be continually absorbed by the web ; replenishing the second treatment bath ; and reducing the moisture content of the web to a specified moisture content immediately after application of the second treatment bath .