We present an algorithm for image browsing systems that embeds the out
put of binary Floyd-Steinberg error diffusion, or a low bit-depth gray
-scale or color error diffused image into higher bit-depth gray-scale
or color error diffused images. The benefits of this algorithm are tha
t a low bit-depth halftoned image can be directly obtained from a high
er bit-depth halftone for printing or progressive transmission simply
by masking one or more bits off of the higher bit-depth image, The emb
edding can be done in anp bits of the output, although the most signif
icant or the least significant bits are most convenient, Due to constr
aints on the palette introduced by embedding image quality for the hig
her bit-depth halftone mag be reduced, To preserve image quality, we p
resent algorithms for color palette organization, or binary index assi
gnment, to be used as a preprocessing step to the embedding algorithm.