PURPOSE: To easily convert the character pattern data of a standard style into the pattern data of an Italic style at a high speed by shifting extracted bits by shifting these bits in the row direction by as much as a prescribed quantity according to the positions of the bits, then putting the bits into a readable and reloadable memory.

CONSTITUTION: The data on 8 bits in the vertical direction of the respective patterns in a character pattern ROM storing the character pattern data with column arrangement constitution are simultaneously read out and the one bit or several bits are extracted therefrom and are put into a work RAM after the bits are shifted in the row direction by as much as a prescribed quantity according to the positions of the extracted bits. More specifically, for example, the bits are put into the RAM by shifting the bits laterally by three pits as to the 1, 2 bits from above, shifting the bits by 2 bits laterally as to the 3, 4 bits from above, shifting the bits laterally by one bit as to the 5, 6 bits from above and without shifting the bits as to the 1, 2 bits from below in the case of 8 bits in the vertical direction of the pattern data.