PURPOSE: To prevent images from being degraded at the time of editing the images and to edit the images with high picture quality by deciding the order of decoding corresponding to a code showing picture edition in the case of decoding and outputting image data coded for the unit of a block while defining (m) picture elements ×(n) lines as one block.

CONSTITUTION: Original images are read by a CCD 151 equipped with filters in three R, G and B colors, the image data are converted to digital data by an A/D & S/H part 152 and corrected by a shading correction part 153 and an input masking part 154 and in the case of a variable power function, a variable power processing is executed by a variable power processing part 155. The respective image data are compressed by an encoder part 157 of a compression part 156, stored in a memory part 158, read by a time division processing and extended by a decoder part 159, and a masking processing is executed by a masking/UCR part 160. Then, the respective output image data of YMCK are prepared by γ correction part 161 and an edge emphasis part 162, and the images are recorded onto recording paper by an output means.