Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for processing flat substrates (2), such as circuit boards or the like to be printed, wherein the substrate (2) can be fed resting on a transport device on two opposite side edge regions (4), can be first lifted from below for the purpose of processing by means of supports (7) and pressed against corresponding hold-down pieces (10) in the side edge regions (4), and can be clamped on the corresponding side edges (11) of the substrate (2) in this position, resting on the supports (7), between two clamping strips (13), whereupon the hold-down piece (10) can be lowered to the side away from the substrate (2) and the clamping strip (13) and further below the region of the upper side (16) of the substrate (2) thus located, whereupon full-surface processing can take place.