Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a press arrangement in which a panel is compressed between two heated plates of a press, and in which a vacuum is created between the two plates of the press during compression, one of the plates being flexible along one direction, wherein the curved flexible plate is applied to the panel to be pressed so that it contacts the panel on an elongated surface near a generatrix, the air pressure in the press around the panel is gradually lowered while the flexible plate is progressively developed to shape it into planar form, pressure is exerted on more and more surface starting from the surface of initial pressure so as to exert pressure over the entire surface of the flexible plate in order to shape it into planar form when the desired low pressure is attained.