Ultrafast, single step and direct patterning of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) is achieved through pulsed laser interference ablation using a near field transmitting phase mask. Periodic arrays of lines are patterned on the HOPG surface over large areas by spatially modulating the laser intensity through the mask. Thus patterned surface serve as a source for multi and few layer graphene ribbons for transferring onto desired substrates using polydimethylsiloxane as transferring agent. The transferred regions are contained with few layer graphene (5-6 layers) ribbons as well as thick graphitic ribbons (30-40 nm), with widths similar to 1 mu m and lengths of several micrometers. Raman, TEM and electrical measurements have confirmed that the transferred ribbons are highly crystalline in nature. Using combinations of shadow and transmitting phase masks, other patterns such as checker boards and diamond-shaped pits are produced.