In a method for displaying images on a display device having a predetermined size, m.times.n frames of matrix-like subset images including at least a single desired image, the subset images being among a plurality of images in a set of control format images, which are to be displayed on the display device and in which the plurality of the images are arrayed in a matrix-like form comprising M.times.N frames, wherein M>m and N>n, are enlarged with a scale of enlargement such that the subset images may be displayed simultaneously with a maximum possible size on the display device. The enlarged subset images are simultaneously displayed on the display device. The desired image is thereby displayed legibly such that it can be used as an effective tool in, particularly, the accurate and efficient diagnosis of an illness.

There are provided an image reading and reproducing apparatus comprising a scanner for photoelectrically reading an image carried on a film to obtain digital input image data; an image processing section for subjecting the digital input image data to specified image processing steps to obtain processed image data; a line image acquiring section for acquiring digital line image data of a line image; an image combining section for combining the processed image data with the digital line image data to create output composite image data and a printer for scanning and exposing a light-sensitive material in accordance with the output composite image data at one step to record a composite image en the light-sensitive material, as well as an image reading and reproducing method applied to the above apparatus. The apparatus and method are capable of simply inserting characters and pictures on the surface of a print in accordance with the designation by a user without obstructing an image.

In an electric filing apparatus, a document is read, and the read document is divided into blocks by a predetermined dividing number. Further, the divided block is divided into a partial image or partial character train, and a partial image or partial character train is extracted from a predetermined position every block. The extracted partial images or partial character trains are combined, thereby forming a reduced image smaller than an original image or character train. When selecting a document registered by the user, a list of the reduced images is displayed.

This invention relates to an image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program for combining an original image and another image. In this invention, an original image is segmented into a plurality of segmented images, and a segmented image to be combined is extracted from these segmented images. This extracted segmented image is combined with that segmented image of another image, which corresponds to the extracted segmented image.