A gray pixel encoding scheme is used in combination with a halftoner and an imager to produce halftoned images. A halftoner and an imager can be totally separate because the gray pixel encoding allows the imager to decode them at any time. The encoded gray pixels require less bandwidth than explicit gray pixels and can be decoded by the imager in an optimal fashion for the characteristics of the specific printer being used. An imager produces a small partial pixel within a spot boundary. The subpixel produced is called a gray pixel. The gray pixel is allowed to grow from a zero width to a full spot width and is allowed to start anywhere within the spot. The pixel codes describe the starting positions of the gray pixels, the locations of the gray pixels within the spot, and the gray pixel width required. The imager uses the encoded gray pixel from the halftoner to produce a final halftoned image. The list of encoded pixels produced by the halftoner can be stored and used at a later time or sent through a network to a different imager to be printed out.