Method and apparatus for generating data for a skeleton pattern of a character and/or a painted character pattern are provided. A dot matrix pattern representative of a character pattern is stored in a memory and it is displayed on a display device, positions of a plurality of skeleton points for defining a skeleton line position of each of line segments on the displayed dot matrix pattern are specified on the display screen. Kinds of basic elements for the respective line segments are entered by an operator. Lines connecting the skeleton points of the respective line segments are superimposed on the dot matrix pattern as skeleton lines and they are displayed in a distinguishable form. A character outline pattern corresponding to the skeleton lines or a painted pattern thereof is generated based on the input skeleton point positions and the kinds of line segments. The character outline pattern or the painted pattern thereof is displayed on the display device in a distinguishable form as the superposition of the character dot matrix pattern and the character skeleton line pattern. The positions of the skeleton points to be corrected and positions of new skeleton points to be replaced therewith are indicated on the display screen and the character outline pattern or painted pattern thereof is repeatedly displayed based on the corrected skeleton point positions until a desired character outline pattern or painted pattern thereof is generated. The corrected skeleton point positions and the kinds of corresponding basic elements and/or painted character pattern data generated based upon the corrected skeleton point position are stored in the memory.