A method for reproducing an input color image on a metallic layer with inks comprising cyan, magenta, yellow and with a white ink, said reproduced color image providing a high quality appearance both under specular and non-specular viewing conditions, the method comprising a preparation phase and a printing phase, where the preparation phase comprises the steps of: (i) creating and calibrating models for predicting colors obtainable with known surface coverages of the cyan (c), magenta (m), yellow (y) and white (w) ink halftones under both specular and non-specular viewing conditions; (ii) computing optimal sub-gamuts under the specular and the non-specular viewing conditions containing colors that are printable and that provide the closest distance to input colors, both under the specular and the non-specular viewing conditions; (iii) mapping input RGB colors to the optimal specular and non-specular sub-gamuts, obtaining optimal surface coverages of the c, m, y, w inks by minimizing the distances between said mapped colors and printable colors both under the specular and the non-specular viewing conditions and filling a color reproduction table creating a correspondence between said input RGB colors and said optimal surface coverages of the c, m, y, w inks; said minimization of distances between said mapped and said printable colors providing the high-quality appearance under both the specular and the non-specular viewing conditions; and where the printing phase comprises the steps of (a) obtaining from input image RGB colors by accessing said color reproduction table the c, m, y, w ink surface coverages providing the high-quality appearance under both the specular and the non-specular viewing conditions and creating with said optimal c, m, y, w ink surface coverages cyan, magenta, yellow and white color separation layers; (b) halftoning said color separation layers and sending them to the printer. (i) creating and calibrating models for predicting colors obtainable with known surface coverages of the cyan (c), magenta (m), yellow (y) and white (w) ink halftones under both specular and non-specular viewing conditions; (ii) computing optimal sub-gamuts under the specular and the non-specular viewing conditions containing colors that are printable and that provide the closest distance to input colors, both under the specular and the non-specular viewing conditions; (iii) mapping input RGB colors to the optimal specular and non-specular sub-gamuts, obtaining optimal surface coverages of the c, m, y, w inks by minimizing the distances between said mapped colors and printable colors both under the specular and the non-specular viewing conditions and filling a color reproduction table creating a correspondence between said input RGB colors and said optimal surface coverages of the c, m, y, w inks; said minimization of distances between said mapped and said printable colors providing the high-quality appearance under both the specular and the non-specular viewing conditions; (a) obtaining from input image RGB colors by accessing said color reproduction table the c, m, y, w ink surface coverages providing the high-quality appearance under both the specular and the non-specular viewing conditions and creating with said optimal c, m, y, w ink surface coverages cyan, magenta, yellow and white color separation layers; (b) halftoning said color separation layers and sending them to the printer.