To provide an image printing apparatus and method, a printing medium and a printing medium unit which provides a user with more interesting photographing.

An image of the user captured by a CCD 13 is superimposed on a pose image in which a character selected by the user strikes a prescribed pose, and displayed on an image display part 14. Since the degree of matching between the pose image and the image of the user is displayed on the image display part 14, the user can correct his/her posture while confirming the pose image and his/her own image displayed on the image display part 14 so that a higher degree of matching is displayed. When the degree of matching exceeds a prescribed threshold, photographing is performed, and the image of the user which has been captured by the CCD 13 is saved. The saved image is edited, printed on seal paper and provided to the user. This invention may be applied to an image printing apparatus as an automatic photographic seal vending machine.

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