PURPOSE: To prevent the ground staining, blurring, etc., of a recording picture by measuring the density distribution of an original while storing picture signal for one page of the original in a storage part, and setting a development bias level automatically at a reception side according to the density distribution.

CONSTITUTION: The original such as a document is read by a readout digital conversion part 2 and converted into a digital signal. The digital signal is stored temporarily in a picture signal storage part 3 and also supplied to a density distribution decision part 4, which decides roughly on the density distribution of the original to apply a density distribution decision signal to the picture signal storage part 3. The digital picture signal and density distribution decision signal are sent to a reception part 6 through a band-compressive modulation transmitting part 5, and the recording part 8 of the reception part 6 form a recording picture by electrophotography. At this time, the development bias of the recording part 8 is set according to the density distribution decision signal of the original, so the stable recording picture having neither ground staining nor blurring is obtained.