Abstract: A method of producing a printed circuit board comprising the steps of applying a layer of electrically conductive material on at least one side of a printed circuit board, cleaning the surface of the electrical conductive layer, printing a plating resist onto the layer so as to expose only the required trace area of an electrical circuit pattern, electroplating over the layer of electrically conductive material a layer of nickel metal which has a melting point sufficiently high to prevent movement in a molten state during a subsequent soldering operation, removing the plating resist by etching leaving a nickel layer on the trace areas of the circuit pattern, applying a solder resist to the layer so as to expose only the plated-through holes and other connecting sites of the board such as contact fingers and connecting pads, removing the nickel metal from the exposed area of the board, and applying a layer of sealant to retard copper oxidation and/or promote solderability of the exposed plated-through holes, t