APPARATUS FOR READING IMAGE AND METHOD THEREFOR

An image to be read is divided into blocks, and pixels included in each block are consecutively binarized on the basis of a threshold. At this time, the threshold is determined in accordance with a maximum value of an image signal of an area including a block adjacent to an attention-focused pixel. If the threshold is smaller than a reference threshold which is determined in accordance with the maximum value of the image signal of a particular reference pixel of a preceding block, the area is changed, and the threshold is redetermined in accordance with the maximum value of the image signal of the new area.