Precise fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) self-standing microstructures on thin glass plates via two-photon induced polymerization (TPP) has been an important issue for innovative 3D nanodevices and microdevices. However, there are still issues remaining to be solved, such as building 3D microstructures on opaque materials via TPP and being able to implant them as functional parts onto practical systems. To settle these issues simply and effectively, the authors propose a contact print lithography (CPL) method using an ultraviolet-curable polymer layer. They report some of the possibilities and potential of CPL by presenting their results for transplanting 3D microstructures onto large-area substrates and also their examination of some of the effects of the process parameters on CPL. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.