A cutting tool assembly having a tool post capable of lateral movement along a work piece to be cut and an actuator with at least one machined tool tip and possibly other tool tips. The actuator provides for control of the movement of the tool tip in an x-direction into and out of the work piece in order to make continuous or discontinuous diffractive features in it. The machined work piece can be used to make articles having diffractive features such as optical films having lenslets.