a method and system for designing a plurality of correlated stochastic screens or conjugate screen portions intended for use in color halftoning of a corresponding plurality of color separations . a merit function is associated with each screen or screen portion . the merit function represents a measure of the desirability of the screen , particularly with regard to maximizing ink dispersion and optimizing spatial frequency response . an additional merit function value is associated with a combination of the screens and screen portions . additional merit function represents a measure of desirability of the screen combination with regard to ink dispersion and combined spatial frequency response . the merit functions are iteratively applied to possible screens until an optimized merit value is calculated . the screens are selected that correspond to the optimized merit value . the image is generated using the selected screens in a conventional color halftoning process with a plurality of color separations .