A method for fabrication includes providing a substrate having an upper surface with pattern of one or more recesses formed therein. A laser beam is directed to impinge on a donor film so as to eject droplets of a fluid from the donor film by laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) into the one or more recesses. The fluid hardens within the one or more recesses to form a solid piece having a shape defined by the one or more recesses. The substrate is removed from the solid piece. In some embodiments, the recesses are coated with a thin-film layer before ejecting the droplets into the recesses, such that the thin-film layer remains as an outer surface of the solid piece after removing the substrate.