A method for comparing a first print image having a first set of minutiae to a second print image having a second set of minutiae, wherein at least a second subset of minutiae from the second set is mated to a first subset of minutiae from the first set, the method that includes the steps of: selecting (350) a first pair of minutiae from the first subset and a second pair of corresponding mated minutiae from the second subset; generating (350) a first segment based on the first pair of minutiae and a second segment based on the second pair of minutiae; generating (360) a first cross-section profile based on the first segment and a second cross-section profile based on the second segment; and computing (365) at least one similarity measure that is indicative of the similarity between the first cross-section profile and the second cross-section profile.