Abstract: A method of reproducing on a substrate an image incorporating metallic inks involves scanning (18) the image to be reproduced and creating (20) four color separations of the scanned image. Metallic gold and/or metallic silver color separations (22, 24) are created by electronically selecting any color area where the effect is desired. Next, the color separations are edited by creating (26) an electronic yellow mask of the image and adjusting (28) the desired tonal range of the metallic areas. The mask edges of each color separation can also be softened (34). The scanner then outputs (36, 38) the separations to film. The image is then reproduced by printing each of the process color separation films (44, 48) and the metallic separation films (42, 46) onto a substrate.