A method of making a circuitized substrate in which the substrate's commoning bar, used during the plating of the circuitry on the substrate, is terminated from the various conductors using a laser. In a preferred embodiment, the laser acts through a dielectric layer (soldermask) which is applied over the circuitry, including the commoning bar and connected parts. The laser may also be used to expose selected ones of the circuit's other parts, including various pads used to accommodate a wirebond (from a chip) and also solder balls for eventual placement of the substrate on a larger circuit board.