A flat-bed printer comprising substrate support apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a mask and a table including a support surface for supporting at least one substrate during printing, the support surface defining a first region including a plurality of substrate apertures, wherein the table is adapted for supporting one or more substrates partially covering the first region and the mask having cut-outs generally corresponding to the or each substrate, means for applying a negative pressure to the substrate apertures to hold the or each substrate to the first region of table, a plurality of mask apertures located in a second region of the table separate from the first region of the table and means for applying a negative pressure to the mask apertures to hold the mask to the support surface, so that the mask is held by pressure applied to both the substrate and the mask apertures, wherein the means for applying a negative pressure comprises a first negative pressure source for applying a negative pressure to the substrate apertures and a second negative pressure source for independently applying a negative pressure to the mask apertures or comprises a single negative pressure source coupled to a routing device for controlling individually and independently the application of negative pressure to the substrate apertures and the mask apertures; and wherein the means for applying a negative pressure comprises means for selectively releasing the negative pressure from the substrate apertures while retaining the negative pressure at the mask apertures so that pressure is applied to the substrate apertures and the mask apertures independently to enable selective release of a substrate from the support surface while retaining the mask by means of negative pressure applied to the mask apertures. a mask and a table including a support surface for supporting at least one substrate during printing, the support surface defining a first region including a plurality of substrate apertures, wherein the table is adapted for supporting one or more substrates partially covering the first region and the mask having cut-outs generally corresponding to the or each substrate, means for applying a negative pressure to the substrate apertures to hold the or each substrate to the first region of table, a plurality of mask apertures located in a second region of the table separate from the first region of the table and means for applying a negative pressure to the mask apertures to hold the mask to the support surface, so that the mask is held by pressure applied to both the substrate and the mask apertures, wherein the means for applying a negative pressure comprises a first negative pressure source for applying a negative pressure to the substrate apertures and a second negative pressure source for independently applying a negative pressure to the mask apertures or comprises a single negative pressure source coupled to a routing device for controlling individually and independently the application of negative pressure to the substrate apertures and the mask apertures; and wherein the means for applying a negative pressure comprises means for selectively releasing the negative pressure from the substrate apertures while retaining the negative pressure at the mask apertures so that pressure is applied to the substrate apertures and the mask apertures independently to enable selective release of a substrate from the support surface while retaining the mask by means of negative pressure applied to the mask apertures. means for applying a negative pressure to the substrate apertures to hold the or each substrate to the first region of table, a plurality of mask apertures located in a second region of the table separate from the first region of the table and means for applying a negative pressure to the mask apertures to hold the mask to the support surface, so that the mask is held by pressure applied to both the substrate and the mask apertures, wherein the means for applying a negative pressure comprises a first negative pressure source for applying a negative pressure to the substrate apertures and a second negative pressure source for independently applying a negative pressure to the mask apertures or comprises a single negative pressure source coupled to a routing device for controlling individually and independently the application of negative pressure to the substrate apertures and the mask apertures; and wherein the means for applying a negative pressure comprises means for selectively releasing the negative pressure from the substrate apertures while retaining the negative pressure at the mask apertures so that pressure is applied to the substrate apertures and the mask apertures independently to enable selective release of a substrate from the support surface while retaining the mask by means of negative pressure applied to the mask apertures.