Abstract: A user designates a two-sided copying mode, a reduced-scale copying mode, a vertical or horizontal binding direction, and the like from a control panel. An original image is magnification-varied at a designated reduction magnification, and the reduced image is stored in a page memory. In the case of an odd page (front surface) in a single-sided or two-sided copying mode, a &ggr; conversion circuit reads out and outputs stored image data in the normal order, thus forming images. On the other hand, in the case of an even page (back page) in the two-sided copying mode, whether the horizontal or vertical binding direction is designated is checked. If the binding direction agrees with the reversing axis direction of a paper sheet upon copying, images are read out in the normal order. When the vertical binding direction is designated, images are read out in an order opposite to the normal order, so that each page is rotated through 180°. Images are copied in the designated layout.