Nanoscale devices are expected to provide important advances for a number of applications. While many methods to generate nanoscale patterns exist, their use is confined to a relatively narrow range of materials. To fabricate nanoscale structures of a material with useful properties, the most convenient route is to transfer the geometry of an existing pattern into another material. Methods to achieve this pattern transfer are summarized and organized in this review. Methods to generate the original patterns, as well as applications of the final structure are also described.