PURPOSE: To simplify inputting operation, to hasten the proof reading and at the same time, to simplify the apparatus, by a method wherein the same kind of character symbols having different stored position on a character board are made to be able to be discriminated with two kinds of codes of 'common character symbol code' and 'type face code'.

CONSTITUTION: In the input unit of the automatic phototype setting machine equipped with the print part 32 printing by moving the on-off-free character board containing the character symbols of a matrix state in the x and y directions, an input part 18 inputs composition commands of character symbol, type face, etc. by encoding. A discrimination part 25 discriminates whether a character symbol code 18 is the subject character symbol of a type face code 18b by receiving each type face 18b and the character code 18a referring to a subject character kind memory part 33. When it is a subject character symbol, it is sent to a position conversion part 26. The type face code and the character symbol code are converted to the discrimination code of the character board containing character symbols and the x y positional code of the character board referring to an x y positional memory part 31 herein and sent to the print part 32.