Summary: In recent years, based on kinds of chaotic attractors cryptographic algorithms have suggested some new and efficient ways to develop secure image encryption techniques. In fact, the chaotic system with high fractal dimension has more complex dynamics characteristics. Based on the differential and kinetic theory, a most complex attractor is proposed and its chaotic sequence has higher randomness. A digital color image encryption scheme is designed combined with the chaotic flow. Firstly, the encryption matrices generated by the chaotic system are used to deal with the original image, with the methods of position scrambling and gray scale value alternative encryption. By theory analysis and numerical simulations, the novel three-dimensional autonomous chaotic system has complex dynamic characteristics. It has higher applicability in image encryption. For color image the designed algorithm has better encryption effect and higher security.