Objective To solve the problem of formaldehyde releasing from impregnated paper, the hot-pressing technology of decorative paper with soy protein-based adhesive for laminate flooring was investigated, to find out a reasonable technology workflow. Methods The hot-pressing temperature, hot-pressing pressure, hot-pressing time and adhesive dosage were controlled at 130 ℃, 2.5 MPa, 2 min and 160 g/m2, respectively. The decorative paper was then dried to a constant weight. The water used during spraying section was ranged between 75 and 80 g per square meter of the board surface. After lay-up and hot pressing of the decorative paper and high-density fibre plates, the percentage of water-stain area was calculated and the surface bond strength was determined. Results The results showed that the surface bond strength was larger than 1.0 MPa, which met the National Standard GB/T 18102—2007. Moreover, this process could solve the water-stain problem. Conclusion It was found that soy protein-based adhesive could be used to press decorative paper in hot-pressing technology. An improved process flow was found which included tidying the surface of the board, gluing up the decorative paper, drying the paper after gluing, spraying water on the surface of board, assembly, hot pressing and detection. This study provides reference for pressing of overlay paper and balance sheet paper.