Similar to stainless steel in color, nickel can be deposited soft or hard, dull or bright, depending on the process used. Nickel plating is often applied over copper and under chromium for a decorative finish. Bright nickel plating is a highly reflective finish, thus the need for polishing is often eliminated. Bright nickel is a very hard metal with relatively poor ductility. Therefore, parts should be bent into final shape before bright nickel plated whenever possible. Semi-bright or dull nickel has a more satiny finish than bright nickel, and may be slightly more ductile. Items that may undergo heat shock or minor bending should be plated with semi-bright or dull nickel to reduce the risk of the plating flaking off.