The technique of electrolytically plating a coating of copper on the surface of an item is known as Soft copper plating. Electrolysis, which employs direct electric current to dissolve a copper rod and deliver the copper ions to the object, takes place in an electrolytic cell. A copper rod and the item are placed in a container of water. A direct electric current can travel from the copper rod to the item because the water includes an ionic solution. The anode is the copper rod, and the cathode is the item. This current flow leads the copper to ionise, or become oxidised, which means that each atom loses an electron and becomes positively charged.

Copper ions dissolve in water and create a coordination complex with salts that are already present. The copper then goes to the object, where it is physically reduced to the metallic state by gaining electrons. This results in a thin, firm, metallic copper film on the item’s surface.