The alcohols used for the synthesis of the alkyd resins are preferably aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and/or araliphatic alcohols having 1 to 6, preferably 1 to 4, OH groups attached to non-aromatic carbon atoms and containing 1 to 24 carbon atoms per molecule, e.g. glycols such as ethylene, glycol, propylene glycol, butanediols, neopentylglycol, ether alcohols such as diethylene and triethylene glycol