The possibility of initiating rapid chemical cross-linking reactions without heating the coating or substrate, and doing so whilst conserving energy and at low emission, was the motivation for transferring photochemical reactions to the specific requirements of coating technology in the 1950s and 60s. 'Cold' UV curing has proven to be an effective method, especially for planar and heat-sensitive wood components in the furniture industry. Initially only used to cross-link clear coats, and subsequently also used for thin, non-covering pigmented coatings, radiation-curing coatings also conquered the printing ink sector and circuit board industry. ...