Compounds having alcoholic hydroxyl groups are esterified with acrylic or methacrylic acid in the presence of copper(II) salts or mixtures thereof as polymerization inhibitors and in the presence of a hydrocarbon as a water-entraining agent with removal of the water of reaction at from 90 to 150° C. After the esterification, the copper salt is precipitated as copper sulfide and is separated off from the ester. The light-color (meth)acrylates resulting in the high yields are particularly suitable for coatings containing colored pigment on substrates such as wood, paper, mineral building materials, plastics or metal.