A method for printing a desired two-dimensional periodic pattern of intensity peaks having a honeycomb or hexagonal lattice symmetry and a first nearest-neighbour distance into a photosensitive layer that includes: a) providing a mask bearing a mask pattern composed of a first, a second and a third overlapping periodic sub-patterns of features each of which has a hexagonal lattice symmetry and a second nearest-neighbour distance that is √3 times the first nearest-neighbour distance, the features of each sub-pattern being formed in or on at least one transmissive material so that the light transmitted by the second and third sub-patterns are shifted in phase by respectively first and second phase shifts relative to the light transmitted by the first sub-pattern; b) providing a substrate bearing the photosensitive layer; c) arranging the mask substantially parallel to and with a separation from the substrate; d) providing substantially collimated light having a central wavelength and a spectral bandwidth for illuminating the mask pattern to generate a transmitted light-field in which light of the central wavelength forms a range of transversal intensity distributions between Talbot planes; e) illuminating said mask pattern with said light whilst one of maintaining the separation and changing it by a displacement distance whereby the photosensitive layer is exposed to substantially an average of the range of transversal intensity distributions, which prints the desired pattern; wherein the separation is either arranged according to the spectral bandwidth and the second nearest-neighbour distance and maintained during the illumination or is changed during the illumination by a displacement distance that is related to the central wavelength and the second nearest-neighbour distance, and the second nearest-neighbour distance is selected in relation to the central wavelength so that first diffraction orders are formed in the transmitted light-field, characterised in that the second phase shift is an integer multiple of the first phase shift, wherein said integer is 2, and said first phase shift is substantially 54° or substantially 120° for the case that the desired pattern has respectively honeycomb or hexagonal lattice symmetry. a) providing a mask bearing a mask pattern composed of a first, a second and a third overlapping periodic sub-patterns of features each of which has a hexagonal lattice symmetry and a second nearest-neighbour distance that is √3 times the first nearest-neighbour distance, the features of each sub-pattern being formed in or on at least one transmissive material so that the light transmitted by the second and third sub-patterns are shifted in phase by respectively first and second phase shifts relative to the light transmitted by the first sub-pattern; b) providing a substrate bearing the photosensitive layer; c) arranging the mask substantially parallel to and with a separation from the substrate; d) providing substantially collimated light having a central wavelength and a spectral bandwidth for illuminating the mask pattern to generate a transmitted light-field in which light of the central wavelength forms a range of transversal intensity distributions between Talbot planes; e) illuminating said mask pattern with said light whilst one of maintaining the separation and changing it by a displacement distance whereby the photosensitive layer is exposed to substantially an average of the range of transversal intensity distributions, which prints the desired pattern;