PURPOSE: To enable the titled device to obtian gradation in the area of photograph and to form a sharp picture in the area of character and line pattern by discriminating whether inputted picture signals are signals of the area of character and line pattern or signals of the area of photograph, and switching and selecting density of dots for picture forming according to the discriminating signals.

CONSTITUTION: Picture signals S1 are supplied to an area discriminating circuit 1 and discriminated whether they belong to the area of photograph or not. When the picture signals S1 belong to the area of photograph, a photograph area signal S2 that goes to logic "1" is outputted from the area discriminating circuit 1, and if not, the signal that goes to logic "0" is outputted. The photograph area signal S2 sent out from the area discriminating circuit 1 is supplied to a selector circuit 2 as a selecting signal, and only when the picture signals S1 belong to the photograph area, the picture signals are outputted to a D/A convertor 3, and in other casesm "0" is outputted to the D/A convertor 3. On the other hand, picture signals S1 are supplied to a D/A convertor 4 as they are. D/A convertors 3, 4 output specified analog voltage signals S4, S5 according to supplied digital picture signals S3, S1.