A method is provided for processing a relief raster image, comprising customary color channels for indicating a color of each pixel and a height channel for indicating a height of each pixel into several pass images that are printed using a printer with several colorants including a white colorant. For each pixel a relief part, a white part and a skin part are discriminated in order to combine the demands for height and color variation across the surface of the image. The skin part comprises pixels for which a colorant composition based on the color channels of the relief raster image is established. In order to print a color in the skin part that is independent of a height of the pixel, the relief part comprises an arbitrary colorant composition and the white part comprises mainly white colorant.