The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for winding and unwinding web materials, the web materials having a plurality of narrow lanes which form a spool. In a first aspect of the invention each lane of web material is defined by a width measured in the axial direction of the spool and between a minimum and a maximum radial height measured radially from a central axis of the spool. Each lane is wound, in turn, with web material up to the maximum radial height, the web material is folded by a first, second, third and fourth folds so that the web material is realigned parallel to the adjacent lane and wound to form the adjacent lane.