Abstract: A machine for the reading, processing and compression of documents. This machine utilizes a separate image bus and communication bus. The image bus links a reader having a plurality of reading members for the reading of documents of different types, an image memory, and an extraction device for extracting the related components of the image. The communication bus connects the reader, the extraction device, a coding device, a merging device, and a controller. The coding device comprises several specific coders, each coder processing a given type of related components (lines, symbols, non-symbols, etc).