Abstract: An automatic character recognition system and method for identifying an unknown character which is one of a class of known characters. The system is set up using known specimen characters from a large character training set which must first be selected based on the use to which the character recognition will be put. Using the selected set, features and shapes of the character vocabulary in the set are obtained using selected feature scan parameters, are processed as a plurality of representative and normalized pieces of curves and are then stored in the form of binary coded representations. The system set-up also includes selecting and storing canonic shape parameters. The canonic shapes are separate pieces or segments of lines and curves which are selected on the basis that their shapes can be found as component parts or within a significant number of the characters within the character set.