A conductive metal pattern can be formed using a titania sol-gel obtained from a titania precursor composition having (a) a titanium alkoxide or titanium aryloxide, (b) a R(O)mCOCH2CO(O)nR′ compound wherein R and R′ are independently alkyl and m and n are independently 0 or 1, (c) water, (d) either an acid having a pKa less than 1 or a source of a halogen, and (e) a water-miscible organic solvent, on a substrate, wherein the molar amounts of (a) through (d) are sufficient to form a pattern of a titania sol-gel upon drying on the substrate. This pattern is contacted with electroless seed metal ions to form a pattern of electroless seed metal ions deposited within the pattern of titania sol-gel on the substrate, which electroless seed metal ions are exposed to electromagnetic radiation to reduce the electroless seed metal. The article is then subjected to electroless metal plating.