1. A method of forming a matrix image, comprising the steps of: (a) dividing each of at least one image segment which constitutes at least part of an image and which is constituted by an m.times.n matrix into a plurality of elements; (b) specifying said elements by corresponding parallelograms, each of said parallelograms on a basic m.times.n matrix wherein at least some of said parallelograms append or intersect with other parallelograms; (c) encoding each of the elements by characteristic features of a corresponding parallelogram said features including position, length, an inclination angle and direction of a width of the parallelogram; (d) storing data representative of each image segment in a form of a set of at least one coded element; and (e) forming an entire pattern of the image according to the thus stored data representing said at least one image segment.