PURPOSE: To provide the character output method which can output a block copy of a newspaper with high quality.

CONSTITUTION: When the fonts of read characters are normal fonts F1 and F2 and a specified deformation rate is equal to a specific value, a newspaper flat font is outputted without being deformed. Further, when the fonts of the read characters are the normal fonts F1 and F2 and the specified deformation rate is not equal to the specific value, on the other hand, the normal fonts are deformed by the specified deformation rate and outputted. When the fonts of the read characters are newspaper flat fonts F3 and F4 and the specified deformation rate is equal to the specific value, the newspaper flat font is outputted without being deformed. When the fonts of the read characters are newspaper flat fonts F3 and F4 and the specified deformation rate is not equal to the specific value, the normal fonts are deformed by a deformation rate obtained by converting the specified deformation rate and then outputted.