A method for printing a periodic pattern of features into a photosensitive layer includes providing a mask bearing a mask pattern, providing a substrate bearing the layer, arranging the substrate parallel to the mask, providing a number of lasers having a plurality of peak wavelengths, forming from the light a beam for illuminating the mask with a spectral distribution of exposure dose and a degree of collimation, illuminating the mask with the beam such that the light of each wavelength transmitted by the mask pattern forms a range of transversal intensity distributions between Talbot planes and exposes the photosensitive layer to an image component. The separation and the spectral distribution are arranged so that the superposition of the components is equivalent to an average of the range of transversal intensity distributions formed by light of one wavelength and the collimation is arranged so that the features are resolved.