(57) An electroless plating process in which an article is plated while immersed in a plating solution containing a plating metal such as nickel and a reducing agent such as hypophosphate is modified by applying an electrical potential difference between the article, as cathode, and an anode in electrical contact with the plating solution. The current density is generally far below that required to cause electroplating and preferably is 0.01 to 0.05 A/dm² on the cathodic article surface.