TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRONICS - Preferred Process: The direct printing process involves syringe printing, aerosol jet deposition, or ink jet printing. The process further involves surface modifying the substrate with a laser. The laser increases or decreases the hydrophilicity of the substrate. The precursor composition is heated at not greater than 300 (preferably not greater than 225, especially not greater than 185)degreesC to form the conductive feature on the substrate. The heating sinters adjacent metallic particles to one another.Preferred Feature: The conductive feature comprises regions derived from the metallic nanoparticles dispersed in a matrix of the metal formed from the metal precursor compound.Preferred Components: The flexible substrate has a softening point of not greater than 225 (preferably not greater than 185, especially not greater than 150)degreesC. At least 80 vol.% of the metallic nanoparticles is not greater than twice the average particle size. The metallic nanoparticles comprise a second metal different from the metal formed from the metal precursor compound; or comprise the same metal as the metal formed from the metal precursor compound.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metallic nanoparticles comprise a metal selected from silver, palladium, copper, gold, platinum or nickel. The metallic nanoparticles comprise a cap or coating. The metallic nanoparticles have a volume median particle size of not greater than 100 nanometers. The metal is selected from silver, palladium, copper, gold, platinum or nickel.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The cap or coating on metallic particle comprises an organic cap or coating (preferably sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate, tetra-n-octyl-ammonium bromide or an alkane thiolate).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The flexible substrate comprises a polymer (preferably polyfluorinated compounds, polyimides, epoxies, polycarbonates, paper, acetate, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile, butadiene, flexible fiber board, non-woven polymeric fabric, cloth, metallic foil or thin glass). The cap or coating on metallic particle comprises a polymer (preferably intrinsically conductive polymer, a sulfonated perfluorohydrocarbon polymer, polystyrene, polystyrene/methacrylate or polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)). EXAMPLE - A silver precursor composition comprising silver-trifluoroacetate (372 g), NN-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) (26.7 g), lactic acid (0.9 g), diethylene glycol butyl ether (DEGBE) (34.5 g) and styrene allyl alcohol (SAA) (0.9 g) (to control spreading) was prepared. The composition was deposited on a KAPTON HN (RTM: polyimide substrate) using an ink-jet device and heated in an oven at 250degreesC. No spreading was observed. The film showed some shrinkage and had a bulk resistivity of 5.2 times the resistivity of bulk silver.