An encoding apparatus, decoding apparatus, and coding methods. The encoding apparatus includes a processor configured to receive a video frame including screen content, generate a block containing an index map of colors for screen content in the video frame, wherein the block includes strings of index values sharing a same escape color index value, wherein the escape color index value represents an escape color, encode each of the strings of index values in the block, and sequentially encode the escape colors after each of the strings of index values in the block has been encoded. A transmitter operably coupled to the processor is configured to transmit the strings of index values and the escape colors in a bitstream to a decoding apparatus.