A device and method is provided for breaking up undesirable patterns in vector error diffusion when the sum of inputs is near fraction values of the total input range. In the method, the value of the sum is calculated modulo the maximum input value. The mod value tendency to produce limit cycles is then determined for multiple planes in a manner similar to that for an individual plane. The threshold process for the vector calculation can then be modified to break up the cycles that occur in the combinations of the multiple colors. Typically, the largest of the individual plane modifications and the vector sum mod value is used for threshold modification. At least two different types of threshold modifications are possible: (1) random or psuedo-random noise address to the threshold; and (2) non-contiguous regions of threshold.