A method for embedding two input color images on the same area of a print on a metallic substrate with cross-halftones that comprise two perpendicular intersecting line halftones, the first input color image being viewable in non-rotated viewing mode and the second input color image being viewable in rotated viewing mode, that is, after an in-plane quarter turn rotation, the method comprising a preparation and a printing phase, where the preparation phase comprises the steps of: (i) establishing a color prediction model relying on reflectance predictions predicting under specular reflection viewing conditions the colors of said cross-halftones in non-rotated and rotated viewing modes as a function of ink surface coverages of said intersecting line halftones; (ii) creating a multi-dimensional desired color table mapping a first desired color in non-rotated viewing mode and a second desired color in rotated viewing mode to the ink surface coverages of the cross-halftone by minimizing with said color prediction model a difference metric between desired and achieved colors in non-rotated viewing mode and desired and achieved color in rotated viewing mode; (iii) computing a sub-gamut under specular reflection viewing conditions containing colors that are printable and that provides freedom for color changes from gamut mapped colors of said first input image to gamut mapped colors of said second input image; and where the printing phase comprises the steps of (a) performing the gamut mapping of colors from said first input color image into said sub-gamut and of colors from said second input color image into said sub-gamut; (b) deducing, for each pair of colors from the first and second gamut mapped images, by accessing the multi-dimensional desired color table from step (ii) the surface coverages of the inks for creating the cross-halftoned ink separation layers; (c) with said surface coverages of the inks, creating by halftoning the cross-halftoned ink separation layers; and (d) printing said cross-halftoned ink separation layers. (i) establishing a color prediction model relying on reflectance predictions predicting under specular reflection viewing conditions the colors of said cross-halftones in non-rotated and rotated viewing modes as a function of ink surface coverages of said intersecting line halftones; (ii) creating a multi-dimensional desired color table mapping a first desired color in non-rotated viewing mode and a second desired color in rotated viewing mode to the ink surface coverages of the cross-halftone by minimizing with said color prediction model a difference metric between desired and achieved colors in non-rotated viewing mode and desired and achieved color in rotated viewing mode; (iii) computing a sub-gamut under specular reflection viewing conditions containing colors that are printable and that provides freedom for color changes from gamut mapped colors of said first input image to gamut mapped colors of said second input image; and where the printing phase comprises the steps of (a) performing the gamut mapping of colors from said first input color image into said sub-gamut and of colors from said second input color image into said sub-gamut; (b) deducing, for each pair of colors from the first and second gamut mapped images, by accessing the multi-dimensional desired color table from step (ii) the surface coverages of the inks for creating the cross-halftoned ink separation layers; (c) with said surface coverages of the inks, creating by halftoning the cross-halftoned ink separation layers; and (d) printing said cross-halftoned ink separation layers. (a) performing the gamut mapping of colors from said first input color image into said sub-gamut and of colors from said second input color image into said sub-gamut; (b) deducing, for each pair of colors from the first and second gamut mapped images, by accessing the multi-dimensional desired color table from step (ii) the surface coverages of the inks for creating the cross-halftoned ink separation layers; (c) with said surface coverages of the inks, creating by halftoning the cross-halftoned ink separation layers; and (d) printing said cross-halftoned ink separation layers.