A method and an apparatus for forming an image by contour vector processing includes scanning a pixel along an edge of the image formed by pixels having a first pixel state and pixels having a second pixel state, discriminating one pixel state of the scanned pixel, and determining the pixel states of pixels bordering the discriminated pixel in the case the discriminated pixel has a first pixel state. Contour vectors are extracted between the discriminated pixel having the first pixel state and pixels having a second pixel state bordering the discriminated pixel which are closer to the discriminated pixel than to the bordering pixels, and outputting the extracted contour vectors to form the image.