providing a starting imprint mold-forming substrate having a patterned portion and a non-pattemed portion, the starting imprint mold-forming substrate comprising: a front surface, a back surface, a side surface, and optionally a chamfer, wherein the patterned portion is provided on the front surface, wherein the non-patterned portion is provided on the front surface, the back surface, the side surface and optionally the chamfer,

providing a table having an upper surface comprising a contact surface having a first area and a recess having a second area, the recess recessed from the contact surface, the first area of the contact surface being larger than the second area of the recess,

bonding the starting imprint mold-forming substrate at its non-patterned portion of the front surface to the table such that the patterned portion of the starting imprint mold-forming substrate is received in the recess of the table to define a space region between the patterned portion and the table such that the patterned portion is not in direct contact with the table, wherein the distance between the patterned portion and the table in the space region is at least 100 μm in a horizontal direction parallel to the upper surface of the table and at least 10 μm in a vertical direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the table,

performing contour machining to grind at least a portion of the non-patterned portion when the starting imprint mold-forming substrate is secured to the table, and

obtaining the nanoimprint mold-forming substrate wherein the back surface comprises a first surface extending horizontally, and optionally a second surface extending perpendicularly.