PURPOSE: To decrease retrieving mistakes and also to read out a desired picture quickly by using a compressed picture to retrieve the contents of a picture file.

CONSTITUTION: The picture data digitized by a picture input controller 19 is written to a picture memory 20 and also stored in a picture file device 13. A picture processor 21 uses the picture data of the memory 20 to produce the compressed picture data and store it in the compressed picture area of the device 13. Then a central processing unit 10 stores the written names and the contents of pictures in the directory area of the device 13. When the picture data stored in the device 13 is retrieved, the directory is used to read the compressed picture of the similar picture data and to display it on a console 14. Thus a desired picture is obtained out of the display of the console 14 and delivered to a printer 24 together with a designated picture number.