According to one embodiment, a first conveying path to form a conveying path from the sheet supply portion toward the ejector, a reader arranged on the first conveying path to read an image on a surface of the sheet, an erasure to erase the image on the sheet formed with image erasable material, a switching portion arranged on the first conveying path at a downstream side of the reader in a sheet conveying direction to switch the sheet conveying direction to a direction of the ejector or a direction of the erasure, and a second conveying path having the erasure which, at a position where the switching portion is arranged, branches from the first conveying path at the downstream side of the reader and merges with the first conveying path at a meeting point between the sheet supply portion and the reader.

In accordance with one embodiment, a color erasing apparatus comprises a conveyance path, a color erasing section and a control section. The conveyance path conveys a sheet. The color erasing section erases the color of an image formed with color erasable recording agent serving as recording agent containing coloring agent the color of which can be erased by heating. The control section carries out a control, in a case where the image formed on the sheet is not an image formed with the color erasable recording agent, so that the sheet is not subjected to a color erasing processing by the color erasing section.

According to an embodiment, an image erasing apparatus includes a reading unit, an erasing unit, an image forming unit, and a controller. The reading unit reads identification information formed on a sheet conveyed. The erasing unit erases a part or all of a first image formed on the sheet after the identification information is read. The controller obtains image data corresponding to the identification information that is read by the reading unit. The controller controls the image forming unit so as to form a second image, which is indicated by the obtained image data, onto the sheet from which the first image has been erased.

An image erasing method, according to an embodiment, includes the steps of supplying a sheet from a sheet supply section and conveying the sheet from the sheet supply section on a first conveying path. The method further includes controlling, based on a selected mode, the first conveying path, a reader, a second conveying path, an erasing unit, and a switching section. When the selected mode is an erasing mode, the sheet is conveyed on the first conveying path without being read by the reader, conveyed on the second conveying path where the image is erased by the erasing unit, and then conveyed to a discharge tray. When the selected mode is a reading mode, the sheet is conveyed on the first conveying path where the surface of the sheet is read by the reader, and then conveyed to the discharge tray without being conveyed on the second conveying path.