Abstract: This disclosure concerns a system for automatically reading handwritten and typewritten characters. First, a 64.times.64 point image is made of each character. Then the size and any overlapping with an adjacent character is considered in determining whether the character is either handwritten or typewritten, the latter being smaller and not overlapping. To consider these properties, the image on the 64.times.64 point image area is moved into the upper lefthand corner of the area so that its top and lefthand edge of the image are in contact with the top and lefthand edge of the area for better determining the size of the image after overlapping, if any, has been eliminated. Next, each of the images on the 64.times.64 point image areas, is separated into four images having 32.times.32 image points which are stored in four separate registers. The four 32.times.32 point images correspond with each of the four points making up each square of four image points of the original 64.times.