1. A prepress image processing apparatus for extracting as an adjoining vector a specific portion of a contour of one of two adjoining objects that are parts of an overall image in printed output in order to identify areas for which a trapping image must be generated at color boundaries in color printing to prevent exposing an underlying part, comprising: a point-of-intersection calculation means for calculating points of intersection between the contours of the two objects; a vector-of-intersection calculation means for calculating as a vector of intersection a portion of a contour of an upper object that is equivalent to a path along said contour joining two points of intersection calculated by the point-of-intersection calculation means, the upper object being one of the two objects and being created sequentially after the other one of the two objects; an adjoining vector registration means for registering the vector of intersection as an adjoining vector when the vector of intersection is contained in an area of a lower object, the lower object being the other one of the two objects and being created sequentially before the upper object; and an evaluation means for determining whether to generate a trapping image along the vector of intersection based on a degree of proximity between the vector of intersection and the lower object when the vector of intersection is not contained in the area of the lower object; wherein the adjoining vector registration means registers the vector of intersection as an adjoining vector if the evaluation means determines that a trapping image must be generated along the vector of intersection even though the vector of intersection is not contained in the area of the lower object.