An image processing apparatus includes a generating unit and a superimposing unit. The generating unit generates an image carrier representing a machine-readable image pattern by using information to be embedded into a first image. The superimposing unit makes a second image translucent, the second image being an image of the image carrier, and superimposes the second image onto the first image in such a manner that the second image can be mechanically read and the first image can be read by a user.