7. A method for generating symbols to be imaged on an output device in successive rows of symbols, scanned in a raster fashion along successive scan lines in which said scan lines can be parallel to said rows of symbols and directed left to right, successive scan lines progressing from top to bottom or vice versa, or said scan lines can be perpendicular to said rows of symbols and directed top to bottom, successive scan lines progressing left to right or vice versa, said method including: storing and providing selective access to a page buffer containing a representation of said symbols in a predetermined order, each such representation including an address escape pointer, storing and providing selective access to a column position escape memory specifying for each of said rows of symbols a representation of a first symbol in said row and a height factor identifying a space allotted for presentation including a page buffer pointer, storing and providing selective access to an address escape memory specifying for each different symbol a font pointer and a representation of space allotted for said symbol in orthogonal directions, storing and providing selective access to a font memory specifying for each symbol a graphic representation of said symbol, accessing said column position escape memory in response to a print command specifying a specific relation between scan direction, scan progression and said rows of symbols to identify said first symbol for a selected row by said page buffer pointer, accessing a corresponding entry in said page buffer including said address escape pointer in response to the prior step, accessing said address escape and font memories in response to the prior step to select a predetermined portion of a corresponding graphic representation, and deriving output information related to said portion of said graphic representation, deriving additional output information for additional symbols in response to said print command and to information accessed in prior steps, including: successively deriving different font addresses for a given symbol until a quantity of data extracted bears a specified relation to data extracted from said address escape memory, developing fill bits for insertion into said output information, said fill bits related to the difference between said data extracted from said address escape memory related to a dimension of said symbol and said line height data from said column escape memory whereby symbol row spacing may be freely selected to be larger than a dimension of any symbol on said row.
8. The method of claim 7 which further includes selectively aligning data from said font memory including the step of determining a relation between said line height of said symbol row and a dimension of said symbol, and, based on said relation limiting said output information to exclude any data from said font memory in excess of a line height for said symbol row whereby line height can be freely selected to be less than a dimension of said symbol.