Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the automatic recognition of characters, preferably of figures, which may be hand-written on an information carrier provided with an arrangement of demarcated rectangles- one for each character. These handwritten characters are projected on to a matrix, where a camera tube ensures the scanning of the matrix, and the information thus read is recorded in a store and subsequently handled by a processor.A device for carrying out this method comprises a character pattern manipulator connected to the store in the processor, the output of which manipulator is connected to a number of properties of signals derived from scanning the characters. This manipulator comprises means for copying or transferring the information stored in the processor to other storing matrices, rotating the information stored therein in successive 90.degree. turns, shifting and dividing the stored information, and erasing undesired information parts from the rectangles.