Abstract: A digital copier and method of processing images in which the images are manipulated and processed utilizing smaller blocks of the image. By working with smaller blocks, the image processing may begin before an entire image is scanned or before the entire image is loaded into a memory or buffer. Further, when printing, the start of the printing process may begin as soon as a row of the smaller blocks is completed without waiting for the generation of the entire manipulated image. The blocks are preferably an integral multiple of the size of a size of a direct memory access buffer, or alternatively, are of a size which may be divided into the size of the direct memory access buffer an integral number of times or are a multiple of the size of the direct memory access buffer.