Patent ID: 8512516

Claim:
A method of making a cellulosic web having an elevated absorbency, the method comprising: (a) forming a nascent web having a random distribution of fiber orientation from a papermaking furnish; (b) non-compactively drying the nascent web to a consistency of from about 30 percent to about 60 percent; (c) after the non-compactively drying step, transferring the nascent web to a translating transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed; (d) fabric-creping the nascent web from the transfer surface at a consistency of from about 30 percent to about 60 percent utilizing a creping fabric, the fabric-creping step occurring under pressure in a fabric creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping fabric, wherein the fabric is traveling at a fabric speed that is slower than the transfer surface speed by at least 100 feet per minute, such that the nascent web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping fabric to form a creped wet web; (e) retaining the creped wet web in the creping fabric; and (f) drying the creped wet web, while the creped wet web is held in the creping fabric, to a consistency of at least about 90 percent, to form a dried web.