A strategy for the preparation of surfaces with tailored multicomponent patterned protein regions is reported. A photoreactive initiator for surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) was attached to a silicon oxide surface and a polymer brush resistant to non-specific binding was prepared from it. This brush can be removed using soft UV lithography and then selected proteins can be deposited on the exposed area. This process enables the fabrication of complex protein surfaces without protein degradation and with suppression of non-specific binding of proteins on the unpatterned area. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.