PURPOSE: To provide a setting method capable of updating easily a picture condition for the picture signal processing part of an OCR.

CONSTITUTION: The picture condition setting part 4' of the OCR is provided with a non-volatile memory 46. Each picture condition and the pattern code P of a decimal number for each pattern are inputted beforehand in a control part 44 by the operation of the exclusive key 411 and the numeral key of an operating panel 41, and are stored in the non-volatile memory 46. At the time of the reading processing of a business form and the like, the pattern code P for the picture condition of this business form and the like is inputted to the control part 44 by the operation of the numeral key 4121, and the picture condition stored in the non-volatile memory 46 is read out, and is set in the picture signal processing part 27. Thus, the picture condition is updated by only the operation of the numeral key 412, and updating work having been complicated is improved.