A novel light-sensitive recording element for preparing relief plates or relief printing plates comprises a dimensionally stable base and at least one photopolymerizable recording layer (A) consisting essentially of at least one polymer as binder, at least one photopolymerization initiator, at least one photopolymerizable olefinically unsaturated compound (monomer) which is compatible with the polymeric binder, and/or photopolymerizable olefinically unsaturated radicals which are linked internally and/or terminally to the polymeric binder, and at least one additive, the said additive or at least one of the said additives being selected from the group consisting of the lecithins of the general formulae I and II ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, which may be identical to or different from each other, are each C.sub.11 -C.sub.18 -alkyl or C.sub.11 -C.sub.18 -alkenyl, with the proviso that at least one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is C.sub.11 -C.sub.18 alkenyl, the photopolymerizable recording layer (A) preferably containing from 0.1 to 10% by weight, based on the recording layer (A), of the lecithins of the general structures I and II.