The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a polymeric relief structure comprising the steps of coating a substrate with a coating composition comprising one or more radiation-sensitive ingredients, locally treating the coated substrate with electromagnetic radiation having a periodic or random radiation-intensity pattern, forming a latent image, and polymerizing and/or crosslinking the resulting coated substrate, wherein the coating composition comprises one or more radical scavengers in an amount sufficient to inhibit/retard substantial polymerization in the non-treated areas of the coated substrate, and low enough to allow polymerization and/or crosslinking in the treated areas in step c, with the proviso that the amount of oxygen present in the coating composition is not equal to the equilibrium amount of oxygen present when the coating composition is in contact with air.