Abstract: In the manufacture of cold-rolled steel strip in thin and super-thin strip thicknesses, especially for stretch-forming and deep-drawing operations, the strip after annealing is coated with a liquid containing preferably both a phosphatizing reactant and a lubricant, the strip is then rolled up to hold the liquid between the layers thereof and the retained heat within the strip is utilized to effect the phosphatizing reaction. In one specific embodiment of the invention the strip after annealing is advantageously cooled to a temperature of approximately 100.degree. C. prior to the coating thereon of the phosphatizing and lubricating liquid. In a variation of the invention the liquid coated onto the strip contains only the phosphatizing reactants and the lubricant is separately applied if needed upon the unrolling of the strip.