1. A computer implemented method for conducting progressive feature evaluation to identify a feature of interest in a document, the method comprising: receiving, by a processor, a document image and storing the document image in a memory coupled with the processor; identifying, by the processor, a first pixel of the stored document image having a first characteristic; defining, by the processor, a neighborhood of pixels of the stored document image, wherein the neighborhood of pixels includes one or more additional pixels having the first characteristic and being within a threshold distance of the first pixel or any of the one or more additional pixels; defining, by the processor, an area including the defined neighborhood of pixels; identifying, by the processor, an aspect ratio of the defined area; and comparing the identified aspect ratio to one or more defined aspect ratios stored in a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the one or more defined aspect ratios correspond to one or more features, and determining the feature of the one or more features corresponding to the identified aspect ratio.