This paper describes the feasibility of selective area deposition of metal thin films onto ceramic substrates by using a laser-induced plating technique. In experiments, a focused YAG laser beam and a copper electroless plating solution including CuSO4 were used. For the ceramic workpieces, aluminum nitride (AlN) substrate without activation was used. As a result, a copper deposit was produced on the ceramic surface only in regions where the laser beam was irradiated. A very high plating rate of about 2 μm/s was achieved. This plating enhancement rate is about 1×103 times the usual plating rate. The specific resistance of the copper film was about 3×10-8 Ωm. As an application, the direct drawing of copper lines was demonstrated with a writing speed of 0.2 mm/s.