Patent attributes
There is provided an image reading apparatus that can read a plurality of images without troublesome operations by a user, in which a small-size light source with a small electric power consumption is used as an illumination light source used for reading an image of a transparent original. A surface illumination light source having a size large enough to illuminate one image among a plurality of images included in a transparent original is moved sequentially to positions at which the illumination light source can illuminate the respective images. Each image is read while the illumination light source is kept stationary at the position of the image. In addition, at the position of each image, the transparent original is pressed against an original table of the image reading apparatus.