To output a picture so that a color picture embedding area and an area except the embedding area are naturally combined in terms of color by preventing the edge part of a color picture embedded in a document, etc., from being prominent.

CPU 1 determines the central position of the color picture embedded in the document and defines a virtual line extended radially from this central position. Then, CPU 1 finds the intersection of this virtual line and the edge part of the color picture and detects color information of this intersection from the color picture. CPU 1 colors each point on the virtual line within a document area in the color of the edge and with a density corresponding to the distance from the central position.