PURPOSE: To obtain composition of characters promptly meeting a change of photographs and correction of sizes and positions of photographs by providing is a composition display means for displaying the composition with specific character balls on the display means and a region display means for displaying prescribed layout regions on the display means.

CONSTITUTION: The composition display means 1a analyzes the inputted layout information and instructs the display means 3 to make character ball composition display according to the layout information when the layout information for determining the desired character composition is inputted thereto from an input means 2. The region display means 1b displays the prescribed layout region meeting the character ball sizes according to diagonal instruction information when the diagonal instruction information for the prescribed layout region to be assured in the character ball regions subjected to the composition display is inputted from the input means 2. An image output means 4 outputs the composed character balls and the prescribed layout regions as layout images onto the display means 3. Then, an instruction sheet capable of assisting the formation of character manuscripts in the state of specifying the prescribed layout regions for the characters, photographs, etc., is obtd.