Patent ID: 8458139

Claim:
An image processing apparatus, comprising: a hardware processor; a memory connected to the hardware processor; a generation unit that generates a composite file in which multiple files are merged, a determination unit that determines, when the composite file is generated by the generation unit, whether or not at least one object of objects contained in the multiple files is to be visualized when the composite file is output, wherein the determination unit determines that the object is not to be visualized when at least one object contained in the composite file is positioned behind another object in the composite file; a first storage unit that stores, as a separate file, image data of an object determined not to be visualized based on a determination result of the determination unit, but does not store, as a separate file, image data of an object determined to be visualized, as the separate file based on a determination result of the determination unit, and a second storage unit that stores information indicating the image data stored in the separate file as link information in the composite file; wherein at least one of the generation unit, the determination unit, the first storage unit and the second storage unit is implemented, at least in part, by the hardware processor and the memory.