A process for primer coating of steel which is intended to be fabricated and overcoated, in which process the steel is primer coated with a primer coating comprising a silica or silicate binder, wherein the binder comprises an aqueous silica sol or alkali metal silicate having a SiO.sub.2/M.sub.2O mole ratio, where M represents total alkali metal and ammonium ions, of at least 6:1, and that after the primer coating has dried to the extent that it is touch dry it is treated with a solution which increases the film strength of the primer coating.