Steve...what about using adhesive spray on the backing ? We hit the backing with a light spray (pallet adhesive from my screen printing), lay it down on a 'pallet' on my screenprinting octopus, pull the shirt over it same as getting ready to screen it-then pat the shirt onto the backing. Reach around to the hem, or through the neck with a small hoop, lift the backing and shirt up, slide the hoop in place and hoop it. No stretching the shirt this way because it is stuck to the backing and hooping is faster (for us anyways) because we have the sides of the pallet for straight alignment and the shirts all go on the board the same way... might be why we haven't run into 'potato chip' curling (that and not using 100% cotton unless we absolutely have to). Roland