Microcontact printing is a powerful and low-cost method for generating complex patterns on a surface with micrometer- and nanometer-scale resolution. The method works much like stamping an ink onto a surface; in this case, the stamp is typically made of polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) and the ink is an organic molecule, commonly an alkanethiol. The PDMS stamp is coated with the alkanethiol 'ink' and conformed to a gold substrate, transferring the molecules within a few seconds.

Microcontact printing was developed by George Whitesides and co-workers at Harvard University in 1994 and is part of a family of techniques referred to as soft lithography, where 'soft' elastomeric molds are used to pattern surfaces. Since then, many research groups have used microcontact printing as a way to functionalize surfaces for various applications.