Abstract: A character generator for a raster printer which prints in the page mode. Input format data is generated in response to the input print data which defines for each pattern the position of the pattern on the page, the size of the pattern and the location of the pattern in the raster pattern storage. The format data is accessed for all patterns beginning within a predetermined plurality of scan lines and raster data is accessed in response to the format data to store in an output buffer the raster pattern data in the sequence, size and position defined by the format data. The raster pattern data can then be accessed to control a printer to print on a print medium a pattern defined by the input print data.