1. A method for printing an integrated circuit pattern on a semiconductor wafer having a photoactive material thereon, the method comprising the steps of: providing a desired wafer feature pattern having at least one wafer feature element; deriving a merit function describing a relationship between an illumination source, a reticle, and an image, said source having at least one source parameter, said reticle having at least one diffractive feature, and said image having at least one image intensity; selecting at least one constraint in relation to said desired wafer feature pattern that said at least one image intensity must satisfy; selecting a combination of said at least one source parameter and said at least one diffractive feature so that said merit function is optimized in accordance with said at least one constraint; illuminating said reticle with illumination energy from said illumination source, so that said illumination energy is diffracted by said reticle and projected through a lens aperture to form said at least one image intensity on the wafer; exposing the photoactive material to said at least one image intensity; and developing said exposed photoactive material to form a printed feature, so that said printed feature conforms with said at least one wafer feature element of said desired wafer feature pattern in accordance with said constraints.