1. In a system for reading a two-dimensional bar code having bars located nominally at predetermined pitch increments, a method for processing bar image data comprising: scanning the bar code at predetermined increments to produce scan lines of elements of image data of either a first or a second state to reflect either a bar image scan or a space image scan; generating from the scan lines of image data a profile vector having elements representing the likelihood that each scan line of image data contains bar image data; and transferring to recognition means only those scan lines of image data corresponding to generated profile vector elements meeting predetermined criteria representative of a bar image scan, and disregarding those scan lines of image data corresponding to generated profile vector elements not meeting the predetermined criteria.