An image reading apparatus includes a reading part reading front and back sides of an original; a storage part storing the thus read images and plural processing parameters to be used for image processing; and an image processing part carrying out the image processing on the read images using the plural processing parameters. The image processing part analyzes an image transfer instruction that is an instruction to transmit the read image from the first storage part to the image processing part, and determines which of the processing parameters is to be used for the read image; and transfers the determined processing parameter by a direct memory access transfer method. The processing parameter concerning the read image is transferred from the first storage part to the image processing part by the direct memory access transfer method prior to the image processing of the read image by the image processing part.