Find the tag on your shirt that indicates what it's made of.
Plug in the iron and set the dial to the recommended setting for that fabric. 100-percent cotton and linen need a high setting; wools and cotton blends call for medium heat; polyester, rayon, nylon, silk, acetate and acrylic all need a low heat setting.
Fill the iron with distilled water if you will be using the "steam" setting on cottons or linens.
Iron the back of the collar first, then the front, taking care to iron in from the edges a little at a time to avoid creases.
Open cuffs fully. Iron inside first, then outside.
Iron sleeves after smoothing them flat to avoid creases. Do sleeve backs first, fronts second and take extra care on armhole seams.
Hang shirt over board so that one front panel of the shirt can be extended flat (collar at narrower end of board). Iron from shoulder to shirttail.
Rotate shirt over board so that you iron the back next, and the other front panel last.