Abstract: A graphics engine receives commands or items in high-level graphics, translates these items to primitive codes representing primitive graphics, converts the primitive codes to individual pixel codes and addresses associated therewith and stores the pixel codes in an image memory according to priority in the pixel code. When a new pixel code is received for storing, the stored pixel code in the storage location associated with the new pixel code is read. The stored priority of the stored pixel code is compared with a display priority of the new pixel code and the pixel code having the higher priority is selected for storing at the storage location. The pixel codes are read from the image memory and in a conventional manner are converted using a video look-up table to produce output to a display device. The conversion from primitive graphics to pixel codes includes the process of converting symbol codes into an array of pixels using a symbol font memory.