A hot melt adhesive dispensing system for depositing hot melt adhesive material onto an underlying substrate in accordance with predetermined patterns, with a hot melt adhesive applicator or head having a dual pattern shim assembly that is mounted thereto and comprises a die adapter, a first pattern shim for receiving a hot melt adhesive material from said die adaptor, a second pattern shim for receiving a hot melt adhesive material from said die adaptor, a die plate disposed adjacent to said second pattern shim and a separation shim interposed between said first and second pattern shims (104, 108) for separating said first and second pattern shims from each other, characterized by two different sources of hot melt adhesive materials providing two different types of hot melt adhesive material, said die adaptor being able to receive said two different types of hot melt adhesive material from the two different sources of hot melt adhesive materials; said first pattern shim for depositing a first pattern (282, 286) of the first one of the two different types of hot melt adhesive material onto an underlying substrate; said second pattern shim for depositing a second pattern (292, 296) of the second one of the two different types of the hot melt adhesive material onto the underlying substrate; said separation shim yet permitting the first and second patterns (282, 286; 292, 296) of the hot melt adhesive materials to be deposited onto the underlying substrate in accordance with an overlapping pattern wherein a portion of the first one (282, 286) of the first and second patterns of the hot melt adhesive materials overlaps a portion of the second one (292, 296) of the first and second patterns of the hot melt adhesive materials, a first deposition port defined within the lower edge portion of the first pattern shim for depositing a first deposition onto the underlying substrate a second deposition port defined within the lower edge portion of the first pattern shim for depositing a second deposition onto the underlying substrate whose width dimension is smaller or narrower than that of said first deposition determined by the relative width dimensions of said two deposition ports (148, 150) and a dispensing valving structure, disposed within said applicator or head, longitudinally offsetting said second deposition with respect to said first deposition as a result of a timed operation of said dispensing valving structure. with a hot melt adhesive applicator or head having a dual pattern shim assembly that is mounted thereto and comprises a die adapter, a first pattern shim for receiving a hot melt adhesive material from said die adaptor, a second pattern shim for receiving a hot melt adhesive material from said die adaptor, a die plate disposed adjacent to said second pattern shim and a separation shim interposed between said first and second pattern shims (104, 108) for separating said first and second pattern shims from each other, two different sources of hot melt adhesive materials providing two different types of hot melt adhesive material, said die adaptor being able to receive said two different types of hot melt adhesive material from the two different sources of hot melt adhesive materials; said first pattern shim for depositing a first pattern (282, 286) of the first one of the two different types of hot melt adhesive material onto an underlying substrate; said second pattern shim for depositing a second pattern (292, 296) of the second one of the two different types of the hot melt adhesive material onto the underlying substrate; said separation shim yet permitting the first and second patterns (282, 286; 292, 296) of the hot melt adhesive materials to be deposited onto the underlying substrate in accordance with an overlapping pattern wherein a portion of the first one (282, 286) of the first and second patterns of the hot melt adhesive materials overlaps a portion of the second one (292, 296) of the first and second patterns of the hot melt adhesive materials, a first deposition port defined within the lower edge portion of the first pattern shim for depositing a first deposition onto the underlying substrate a second deposition port defined within the lower edge portion of the first pattern shim for depositing a second deposition onto the underlying substrate whose width dimension is smaller or narrower than that of said first deposition determined by the relative width dimensions of said two deposition ports (148, 150) and a dispensing valving structure, disposed within said applicator or head, longitudinally offsetting said second deposition with respect to said first deposition as a result of a timed operation of said dispensing valving structure.