This invention provides an image processing method and apparatus. Two types of edge emphasis processing operations having different degrees of edge emphasis are performed for image data of a read original. When paper quality of the original instructed by an operation unit is recycle paper, the edge emphasis processing having a smaller degree of the two types of edge emphasis processing operations is selected. The selected (multi-value) image data is binary-converted, and the binary-converted image data is output, thereby obtaining good image quality with respect to the read original regardless of the paper quality of the read original.