PURPOSE: To make it possible to apply a top-center system to a circumferential (cross) and also to radial (vertical) photocomposition in a circular composition by determining standard coordinates and character center positions in a top-center system based on the top-center instructions from the outside and controlling a transfer means and an image-rotation means using a control means of the transfer means based on instructions from a host controller.

CONSTITUTION: When a circular composition of circumferential direction is functioning wherein characters are positioned at standard coordinates Rto5, θto7 in a top-center system, the lower left end of character is in contact with a standard line lo,1 14 and at the same time the center of the character is on a radius Rto,1. In the case of a radial composition, the center position of character 10 is determined in such a way that the lower end of the center of character 10 is determined in such a way that the lower end of the center of character is positioned at a top-center standard position, whereby the character is moved thereto as shown by the arrow A. Further, after the character has been moved, rotation of image is controlled by meann of a prism 78 for rotating image so that the image is turned in a radial direction with respect to the cetner position 10. The arithmetic processing is conducted in a circular- composition top-center system control-logic 79 provided in the host controller 62, thereby outputting motion instructions to a pulse motor control unit 63.