Abstract: A terminal display incorporates a cathode ray tube (CRT) that is mounted in conjunction with a keyboard for use by an operator such as a bank clerk. Main and remote CPU's are accessed by the keyboard to provide an input for recording a signature card through a signature capture device including a television camera. The signature information in the form of the relevant bits or characters is transmitted to the main CPU for storage through a buffered system that incorporates a portion of this invention. In order to save storage space, only those relevant bits that relate to a given character designating the number of spaces is recorded in a manner whereby blanks and the appropriate number thereof are recorded as a single character form, indicating the number of blanks, thereby compressing the signature character bits substantially.