in the art preferably the image receiver 110 is connected to a digitizing device for digitizing the image for example the image receiver 110 may be connected to a scanner which may be used to scan a medical x ray picture on a photographic plate the scanner generates a digital image bearing digital data representative of the x ray picture and feeds the digital image to the image receiver 110 the apparatus 1000 further includes an orientation determiner 120 connected with the image receiver 110 the orientation determiner 120 automatically determines orientation of the image preferably the orientation determiner 120 implements the methods described hereinbelow for determining the orientation of the image preferably apparatus 1000 also includes an image rotator 130 connected with the orientation determiner and configured to rotate the image thereby to modify the orientation of the image according to a predefined policy that is to say by rotating the image the image rotator 130 modifies the orientation of the image from the determined orientation into an orientation compliant with a policy predefined by a user or an administrator of the apparatus 1000 for example a user may define that the fig1 is to be rotated into the nearest position where linear edges 102 detected inside the image align in a 90 degrees multiple orientation as illustrated in fig1 b reference is made to fig1 c which is a detailed block diagram illustrating an apparatus for automatic orientation of an image according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention apparatus 1100 includes the image receiver 110 the orientation determiner 120 and the image rotator 130 described in further detail hereinabove.