PURPOSE:To simplify the input for the names of articles and at the same time to avoid the misoperation of keys, by reading a bar code and storing both the article name data and the character data which are obtained from the read resulrt of the bar code. CONSTITUTION:The bar code signal supplied from a pen scanner 8a is converted into a corresponding character key code through a bar code decoder 8b. This converted charecter key code is stored in an external storage device 11 through a bar code interface 10 which performs the transfer of signals between the decoder 8b and each part of a printer and then via a signal bus 12. The table stored in a memory 7 is occasionally transferred to the device 11 by a transfer instruction given from a CPU13 to be stored in an external memory 11a. This stored table is read in case the name of article is printed on a label.