A method for formulating an initial and its subsequently replenished plating bath for plating a plurality of articles comprising the steps of: forming a plating bath by mixing an initial solution with water, said initial solution being pre-made, and stable and free from precipitation before mixing with water, comprising, in defined proportions, a metal salt; a complexer; a reducing agent; at least one pH adjuster in addition to said complexer and at least a stabilizer in addition to said complexer for stabilizing a plating reaction, said stabilizer being selected from the group consisting of cadmium compounds, bismuth compounds, tin, copper, antimony, arsenic, manganese compounds, molybdenum compounds, thallium sulfate, potassium iodide, sulfur, and non-metal stabilizers; controlling said bath by maintaining the pH, bath temperature and plating rate; plating one or more articles; replenishing said plating bath to maintain said plating bath in usable form by adding an additional amount of said initial solution to said plating bath, said additional amount determined based on the determined depletion from said plating bath, said depletion determined based on analysis of said bath; and plating at least one additional article; wherein said complexer is selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, malic acid, maleic anhydride, glycine, citric acid, citrates, glycolic acid or salts, succinic acid or salts, beta-alanine, EDTA, ammonium carbonate, ammonium chloride, ammonium hydroxide, propionic acid, tetra potassium pyrophosphate, ammonium bicarbonate, ethylenediamine, fluoboric acid, glycerine, hydroxyacetic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid, oxalic acid salts, sodium glucoheptonate, sodium hydroxyacetate, sodium isethionate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium tetraborate, sulfamic acid, tartaric acid, triethanolamine, monocarboxylic acids not including acetic acid, dicarboxylic acids, hydrocarboxylic acids and alkanolamines; and said at least one pH adjuster is selected from the group consisting of ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium chloride, sulfamic acid, sulfuric acid, ammonium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, or sodium hydroxide,. forming a plating bath by mixing an initial solution with water, said initial solution being pre-made, and stable and free from precipitation before mixing with water, comprising, in defined proportions, a metal salt; a complexer; a reducing agent; at least one pH adjuster in addition to said complexer and at least a stabilizer in addition to said complexer for stabilizing a plating reaction, said stabilizer being selected from the group consisting of cadmium compounds, bismuth compounds, tin, copper, antimony, arsenic, manganese compounds, molybdenum compounds, thallium sulfate, potassium iodide, sulfur, and non-metal stabilizers; controlling said bath by maintaining the pH, bath temperature and plating rate; plating one or more articles; replenishing said plating bath to maintain said plating bath in usable form by adding an additional amount of said initial solution to said plating bath, said additional amount determined based on the determined depletion from said plating bath, said depletion determined based on analysis of said bath; and plating at least one additional article; wherein said complexer is selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, malic acid, maleic anhydride, glycine, citric acid, citrates, glycolic acid or salts, succinic acid or salts, beta-alanine, EDTA, ammonium carbonate, ammonium chloride, ammonium hydroxide, propionic acid, tetra potassium pyrophosphate, ammonium bicarbonate, ethylenediamine, fluoboric acid, glycerine, hydroxyacetic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid, oxalic acid salts, sodium glucoheptonate, sodium hydroxyacetate, sodium isethionate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium tetraborate, sulfamic acid, tartaric acid, triethanolamine, monocarboxylic acids not including acetic acid, dicarboxylic acids, hydrocarboxylic acids and alkanolamines; and said at least one pH adjuster is selected from the group consisting of ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium chloride, sulfamic acid, sulfuric acid, ammonium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, or sodium hydroxide,.