An apparatus and method for automatically merging multiple image portions to produce a single image. Image portions are produced, such as by a hand-held scanner, with overlapping areas. The overlapping area of a first image portion is examined to determine a distinguishing feature. The overlapping area of the second image portion is then searched to locate the corresponding feature. The differences in alignment of the two features, such as rotation, expansion or compression, are then determined. One of the image portions is then rotated, compressed or expanded in the amount necessary to align the two images. The two images are then merged by eliminating the overlapping portion of one of the images.
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