A method is disclosed. The method includes generating a Continuous Tone Image (CTI) with all pixel values same as a first gray level, generating an initial Half Tone Image (HTI) with all pixel values equal to minimum absorptance level and computing a change in pixel error for a first pixel. The change in pixel error is computed by identifying a first pixel indicated in a valid pixel map, toggling the first pixel with all the possible output states and swapping the first pixel with all neighbor pixels only if the stacking constraint is satisfied, updating the HTI with the maximum error decrease operation and continue to next pixel location till the end criteria is met.