A method of applying a coating material to a substrate, comprising: providing a first distribution manifold having a cavity and a plurality of first dispensing outlets in fluid communication with the cavity; creating relative motion between a substrate and the dispensing outlets in a first direction; dispensing a first coating material from the dispensing outlets while maintaining the relative motion and translating the plurality of dispensing outlets in a second direction non-parallel to the first direction; varying a rate of dispensing of the first coating material in a predetermined fashion to form a discontinuous pattern of the first coating material on a major surface of the substrate; wherein the method further comprises providing a second plurality of dispensing outlets in fluid communication with a cavity and dispensing a second coating material from the second dispensing outlets while maintaining the relative motion and simultaneously translating the plurality of second dispensing outlets in a second direction non-parallel to the first direction to form a discontinuous pattern of the second coating material on the major surface of the substrate; characterized in that the second plurality of dispensing outlets is interleaved with the first plurality of dispensing outlets; wherein the varying of the rate of dispensing the second coating material in a predetermined fashion from at least one of the first dispensing outlets and the second dispensing outlets includes at least one time period wherein the rate of dispensing is zero, causing the pattern formed by dispensing the coating material from at least one of the first dispensing outlets and the second dispensing outlets to cross the pattern formed by dispensed the coating material from the other dispensing outlets so that the patterns (70, 72) cross over each other without overlapping the coating material. providing a first distribution manifold having a cavity and a plurality of first dispensing outlets in fluid communication with the cavity; creating relative motion between a substrate and the dispensing outlets in a first direction; dispensing a first coating material from the dispensing outlets while maintaining the relative motion and translating the plurality of dispensing outlets in a second direction non-parallel to the first direction; varying a rate of dispensing of the first coating material in a predetermined fashion to form a discontinuous pattern of the first coating material on a major surface of the substrate; wherein the method further comprises providing a second plurality of dispensing outlets in fluid communication with a cavity and dispensing a second coating material from the second dispensing outlets while maintaining the relative motion and simultaneously translating the plurality of second dispensing outlets in a second direction non-parallel to the first direction to form a discontinuous pattern of the second coating material on the major surface of the substrate; characterized in that the second plurality of dispensing outlets is interleaved with the first plurality of dispensing outlets; wherein the varying of the rate of dispensing the second coating material in a predetermined fashion from at least one of the first dispensing outlets and the second dispensing outlets includes at least one time period wherein the rate of dispensing is zero, causing the pattern formed by dispensing the coating material from at least one of the first dispensing outlets and the second dispensing outlets to cross the pattern formed by dispensed the coating material from the other dispensing outlets so that the patterns (70, 72) cross over each other without overlapping the coating material.