Abstract: A memory system is used in a display or printing system for displaying or printing a picture pattern by processing picture data obtained by a function generator. The memory system has memory planes for storing picture data, registers provided in one-to-one relationship with the memory planes for latching the picture data read from the memory planes, and arithmetic logic units provided in one-to-one relationship with the memory planes for performing logical operations on the picture data latched in the registers and obtained by the function generator. The memory system also has an operation mode register storing operation mode data. The arithmetic logic units perform logical operations according to the operation mode data supplied from the operation mode register. The results of the operations are simultaneously written into the respective memory planes.