This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for generating images on a display using a hybrid scalar-vector dithering process. The hybrid scalar-vector dithering process includes a combination of a scalar dithering process and a vector dithering process. In the scalar dithering process, at least one color subfield is dithered based on the data within just that color subfield. In the vector dithering process, data across multiple color subfields is dithered together. In some implementations, the color subfield processed by the scalar dithering process is a composite color subfield, such as white (W), yellow (Y), cyan (C) and magenta (M). The color subfields processed by the vector dithering process can be component color subfields, such as red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color subfields. In some implementations, an identical dither mask is applied in both the vector and scalar portions of the hybrid scalar-vector dithering process.