1. In an article handling system of the type having transport means for transporting articles along respectively different transport paths, the improvement comprising: (a) means associated with each of said articles bearing data representative of the intended destination of said article, (b) a uniquely configured target symbol of predetermined and known characteristics immediately adjacent said destination data, said target symbol including a set of geometrically similar parallelograms of contrasting colors superimposed in mutually concentric relation which, when intersected by a line through its center, defines a sequence of contrasting bars and spaces, said bars and spaces having predetermined widths along said center line, (c) means responsive to the respective width ratios of adjacent bars and spaces for initially detecting the presence of said target symbol and thereafter reading the intended destination data adjacent said detected symbol, and (d) control means responsive to the so read intended destination data for directing each article along a transport path corresponding to said intended destination.