Methods for improved electronic substrate via and thru-hole filling, particularly through the use of drilled stand-offs formed by control-depth drilling oversized non-thru-holes and the use of inserted support pillars to prevent sagging of the substrate during filling. The present invention is especially applicable to an image compression-coded at a low bit rate. In a preferred embodiment, a sacrificed portion of an upstanding orifice sidewall forms a molten weld bead, which flows in a channel to fuse the skirt to the mating interface.