Image processing method and image processing apparatus

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a laser beam emitting unit that is a semiconductor laser device,
• a beam scanning unit disposed on a surface from which a laser beam is emitted in the laser beam emitting unit,
• a beam condensing unit configured to condense a laser beam, and
• an irradiation intensity distribution adjusting unit configured to change an irradiation intensity distribution of a laser beam,
• wherein the image processing apparatus is used in an image processing method which comprises at least one of recording an image onto a thermoreversible recording medium in which transparency or color tone reversibly changes depending upon temperature, by applying a laser beam with the use of the semiconductor laser device so as to heat the thermoreversible recording medium, and erasing an image recorded on the thermoreversible recording medium, by heating the thermoreversible recording medium,
• wherein the intensity distribution of the laser beam applied in the image recording step satisfies the relationship represented by Expression 1 shown below,
• 1.20—I1/I2≦1.29 Expression 1
• where I1 denotes an irradiation intensity of the applied laser beam in a central position of the applied laser beam, and I2 denotes an irradiation intensity of the applied laser beam on a plane corresponding to 95% of the total irradiation energy of the applied laser beam.