TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Method: The method further comprises applying the liquid A over a substrate prior to the ejection of the liquid B, where the substrate has an arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) of 1 mu m or less. In the method, the liquid B is prepared using an ink which contains a functional material and a clear ink which does not contain a functional material, where the clear ink is ejected around a portion to which the ink which contains the functional material is ejected, so as to prevent the functional material from excessively spreading, the speed at which the liquid B spreads in a circle over the liquid A upon ejection of the liquid B is examined beforehand, where the functional material is prevented from excessively spreading by determining the length of time between the ejection of the liquid B and the curing such that the active energy ray is applied at a timing when the diameter of the circle is equivalent to V2 plus minus 50% of the length of one side of a pixel, and the speed at which the liquid B spreads in a circle over the liquid A upon ejection of the liquid B is examined beforehand, where a smooth film having the pattern in the form of the periodic flat surface, the functional material uniformly spreads, is formed by determining the length of time between the ejection of the liquid B and the curing such that the active energy ray is applied at a timing when the diameter of the circle is 1.5 or more times the length of one side of a pixel. The liquids B contains different functional materials are used, and the difference in dot spreading speed between the liquids B is within plus minus 50%. Preferred Components: The liquid B contains a functional material including at least one of a colorant, a photoelectric conversion material, a light-emitting material, a conductive material, a particle with a light scattering function, a transparent emulsion resin particle and a biofunctional material. The liquid B is an active energy ray-curable liquid, the liquid A is greater than the liquid B in static surface tension at 25 degrees C, and the liquid A has a static surface tension of 35 mN/m or greater at 25 degrees C. The diameter of an ejected droplet formed as the liquid B is ejected is 0.4 or less times the distance between ejected dots formed of the ejected liquid B. The pattern is a pattern in the form of cells, where the liquid B is centered at a central portion of a liquid B-ejected portion and uniformly spreads as far as a point close to a midpoint between the central portion and a central portion of an adjacent liquid B-ejected portion, thus spreading over the entire liquid surface of the liquid A except for the midpoint and a peripheral portion where the liquid B is not ejected. The pattern is the smooth pattern having a periodic amplitude of 1 mu m or greater based upon a trigonometric function, where the liquid B spreads over the liquid surface of the liquid A, the liquid B-ejected portion serves as a concave portion, and there is a convex portion in the vicinity of a midpoint between adjacent concave portions, where the liquid A has a viscosity of 50 mPas or greater at 25 degrees C, and the length of time between the ejection of the liquid B and the curing is within 300 milliseconds. In the patterns, the depression is periodically formed at a midpoint between adjacent liquid B-ejected portions, where the liquid A has a viscosity of 1000 mPas or greater at 25 degrees C, and the active energy ray is applied to perform the curing, when 300 milliseconds or more have passed after the ejection of the liquid B, the liquid A has a viscosity of greater than or equal to 50 mPas at 25 degrees C, and the active energy ray is applied to perform the curing, when 300 milliseconds or more have passed after the ejection of the liquid B, the liquid A has a viscosity of less than or equal to 50 mPas or less at 25 degrees C, and the active energy ray is applied to perform the curing, within 300 milliseconds after the ejection of the liquid B, the liquid A has a viscosity of less than or equal to 50 mPas at 25 degrees C and a static surface tension of greater than or equal to 40 mN/m at 25 degrees C, the liquid A has a layer thickness of less than or equal to 10 mu m, and the active energy ray is applied to perform the curing, when 300 milliseconds or more have passed after the ejection of the liquid B. The film has the pattern, where distances between dots formed of the liquid B with respect to an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction at the time when the liquid B is ejected are adjusted such that the shorter distance between the dots corresponds to a major axis direction of the semicylindrical shape. The static surface tension of the liquid A at 25 degrees C is adjusted to 35-40 mN/m and the layer thickness of the liquid A is adjusted to less than or equal to 10 mu m so as to form a thin-film pattern without a semicylindrical shape.