PURPOSE: To improve the process, realize an automatic composing including a variable column and reduce the working load in the block copy forming process by providing a composing system extracting and forming automatically a column information.

CONSTITUTION: A means 3 is connected with a block copy editing means 2 and a column information editing means 4, refers a secret data from a temporary printing data block copied and edited by the composing/editing means 2 and extracts the column information on respective pages. As respective letters to appear on respective pages are already decided by a temporary printing data, the first and last letters on respective pages can be discriminated easily. Also as the column data is provided together with the secret data for respective letter data, letters to be printed and forming the column information and the number of appearing letters to be printed can be extracted by referring the secret data.