1. A method for establishing the location of an unknown character in a character recognition system comprising the steps: (1) generating a plurality of substantially parallel analog waveforms having varying peak voltage amplitudes and times of occurrence of same representing the configuration of the unknown character; (2) generating a plurality of first digital values representing the voltage amplitudes in each of the analog waveforms; (3) applying a first threshold value to said first digital values for generating a plurality of second digital values representing the unknown character and the background of the character; (4) detecting the start of the unknown character from the second digital values; (5) generating a second threshold value from said first digital values; (6) applying said second threshold value to said first digital values for generating third digital values representing the unknown character and fourth digital values representing the background area of the unknown character; (7) detecting the start of the unknown character from the third and fourth digital values; (8) and detecting the end of the unknown character from the third and fourth digital values.