Abstract: In a fingerprint image processing system for use in processing a fingerprint image prior to identification of a fingerprint, edition or correction is made by adding true minutiae and/or deleting false minutiae from the fingerprint image displayed on an output device to leave only real minutiae and to formulate a minutia list which registers a location of each minutia, a minutia direction, and minutia relations representative of adjacent minutia pairs. Edition of the minutiae may be carried out by handling the minutiae as an image while correction may be made by recognizing the minutiae as data. Ridge numbers between two adjacent ones of the minutiae are included in the minutia relations and may be manually or automatically extracted from the fingerprint image.