A method and apparatus for palette coding of a block of video data using multiple color index scanning orders involve: receiving input data associated with a current block; determining whether transposing a color index map for palette coding is selected; responsive to selecting transposing the color index map, encoding or decoding color indices of the current block according to a transposed palette or a transposed triplet palette; and responsive to not selecting transposing the color index map, encoding or decoding the color indices of the current block according to an original palette or an original triplet palette.