Frame character processing method

PURPOSE: To efficiently form a data base by using primary scanning block labelling and a structurizing character cut-out method to automatically separate printing element character data into blocks and subsequently attaching a frame to characters in a character string. CONSTITUTION: A document is scanned by an optical reader to read printing element character data such as character, image and figure data or the like being the image data of the document to input the same and the input data (binarized materials) is separated into a character string (character block), an image block and a figure block by a block separation means 20 performing block separation by a primary scanning block labelling method. Subsequently, the characters in the character string separated by the block separation means 20 are cut-out by a character cut-out means 30 by judging a square attribute (kanji or English character) by a structurizing character cut-out method to perform character cut-out processing. COPYRIGHT: (C)1989,JPO