A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board adapted for having surface mounted components positioned thereon including the step of selectively electroplating a thick solder layer (340) onto selected conductive projections (230). The selective electrodeposition is performed by electrolessly applying a conductive layer (310) onto the board (100) previously provided with circuit conductors (220) and conductive projections (230), providing a thick insulating mask (310) leaving exposed the selected conductive projections (230), and electroplating the thick solder layer (340). The method of manufacturing an electronic card by surface mounting of components (SMT) onto the printed circuit board (100) obtainable by the above-described method further includes the step of dispensing a flux, preferably a no-clean flux dispensed by syringe, onto the board (100), avoiding solder paste application or adhesive screening.

A process for removing unwanted contaminant metallic oxide from the surface of a nickel branding layer of an electronic circuit package, in order to enhance the affinity of a layer of phenolic branding ink to the surface of the metallic branding layer involves treating the surface of the metallic branding layer with a hydrogen-containing, chemical reducing gas phase ambient, so that oxygen within the surface oxide chemically combines with the hydrogen component within the ambient, so as to form readily removable water. The surface of the metallic branding layer is thereby substantially free of surface oxide, providing a greater surface area of metallic-ink bonding sites. As a consequently, a subsequently deposited layer of branding ink strongly adheres to the surface of the nickel and is not readily removed during further cleaning of the circuit package.